Naruto: Kazama Ascendant
by Justareader80
Summary: AU A letter discloses truths that had been hidden and Naruto is actually given the tools necessary to achieve his goals. Armed with a new sense of purpose, Naruto sets out to forge his path and revive his once great clan.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 01: The Sealing

Standing upon the top of a hill overlooking the battle, the Yondaime Hokage silently observed the spectacle before him. The Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the tailed demons, stood majestically over the valley, its enormous body emitting a malevolent chakra that cast the surrounding forest in a pale red hue. The air surrounding the valley was dry, almost stifling, with the unnatural heat throw off by the beast. The path the demon had traveled so far was desolate, bereft of any vegetation, the ground having been scorched black by the heat. It was as if the creature was attempting to consume and erase all signs of life in its seeming mindless trek across the countryside. The valley surrounding the leviathan was erupting with small motes of light, seemingly at random. Had it been under different circumstances, Kazama Arashi may have been willing to simply observe the situation in awe; to witness such a being in combat was simply beyond description. But the situation being what it was, the scene could only bring forth a sense of dread, resting in the pit of his stomach.

Arashi knew that those seemingly harmless motes of light surrounding the beast were countless high-ranking jutsus being performed by the most skilled ninjas in Konoha's employ. And they were not having any observable effect. The ninja had employed countless strategies against the Kyuubi since they had first engaged the beast eight hours ago. The assembled shinobi had absorbed losses that hadn't been seen since the darkest days of the Third Great Shinobi War. However, despite these sacrifices, the demon did not show any signs of tiring or ceasing its relentless trek towards Konoha. The malevolent being seemed to take great satisfaction in concentrating on those ninja that were demonstrating the most ferocity in their attacks. Each sweep of its massive tails seemed to bring about a plethora of attacks encompassing all five of the elements.

Clinching his right hand into a fist, Arashi continued to observe the battle attempting to discern a solution. Konoha had become aware of the demon's presence approximately two days ago. In that time, its path had not wavered and would lead directly into the heart of Konoha. The Hokage had initiated an evacuation of the city but it had barely begun when the group had departed to confront the Kitsune. It would be impossible to completely evacuate the city within the time allowed, but if worse came to worse, at least some of the citizens of Konoha would survive the upcoming battle. At its current speed, the demon would reach Konoha's gates in approximately 14 hours. The Hokage was unable to understand the actions of the beast. The Kyuubi could obviously move much more rapidly than its current pace, but the beast seemed content to cut a broad swath of destruction through the surrounding countryside while continuing its steady march towards the city.

Arashi released a simple Katon jutsu into the air to signal the beginning of the most recent plan. Gritting his teeth together, he began to send chakra surging towards the tenketsus located in the palm of each hand. Pouring an immense amount of charka from the tenketsus, a perfect, blue sphere of energy began to form in each of his hands. Slowly he brought the two spheres together creating larger, but far more unstable vortex of charka. His face a mask of concentration, Arashi struggled as he added additional pulses of chakra, once again forming the maelstrom of chakra into a perfect sphere.

Seallessly focusing his chakra, the Yondaime Hokage executed his trademark jutsu, and was immediately transported to the tri-prong kunai he had placed earlier. He was now in the midst the fighting, near one of the largest trees in the area. Focusing charka into his muscles and the soles of his feet, Arashi sprinted up the tree at a breathtaking rate. Near the top of the tree, Arashi, shifting his weight and with a chakra enhanced leap, was suddenly flying towards the Kyuubi. Throwing his hands forward and bracing himself for impact, the Hokage thrust the massive chakra sphere into the red barrier surrounding the beast.

The cataclysm between the two forces was astounding. The battle between the red and blue chakra rent the air with a horrible crackling of energy. The power being released by the collision began to swirl wildly, shredding the Hokage's clothing and tearing into his flesh. After what seemed like an eternity, the red barrier dissipated, allowing the Odama Rasengan's remaining energy to impact against the creature's shoulder. Arashi, having completed his goal of causing the barrier to collapse, quickly leapt away. As the Hokage's attack had ceased, the ninja closest the opening unleashed a jutsu barrage the likes of which few will ever witness. After what seemed like an eternity of furious effort, the ninjas' attacks began to slow, allowing the smoke surrounding the target to dissipate. The smoke revealed a scorched and bloody patch of fur upon the Kyuubi's shoulder. Initially encouraged by having wounded the great beast, the forces of Konoha watched in horror and disbelief as the red barrier slowly reasserted itself, allowing the minor wound to repair itself. Within thirty seconds of the assault, there was no evidence of the attack having taken place.

Through this chain of events, Arashi looked on in dismay. Conventional means appeared to have little to no effect on the creature. The ninjas of Konoha had used just about every ninjutsu technique they knew against the beast in an attempt to slow down the beast. Even the village largest, most powerful techniques had not phased the demon. The more recent efforts to concentrate their attacks had also met with little success. 'If that assault barely scratched the beast, then the chances of killing the creature outright are essentially nil. If we can't kill it, then we must find some other way of stopping or incapacitating it. Ninjutsu and taijutsu had proven to be ineffective. The chakra requirements of any genjutsu powerful enough to affect the Kyuubi would be staggering. The only alternative left is to seal the creature.'

The technique with the greatest chance of subduing the Kyuubi was Shiki Fuujin. The technique would cost him his life, but, after some thought, the Yondaime concluded that there was no other way. There were few other shinobi with enough experience in advanced seals to ensure success. But even if there were other candidates, Arashi knew that he could not ask anyone else to do this. It was his responsibility as Hokage to protect the village. Anything else would be unthinkable. But the real question was not how to seal the beast, but in what? Shiki Fuujin usually destroys to target's soul, but the Kyuubi is far too powerful to be destroyed so easily. No physical structure or object could hope to contain the demon. The only thing that could withstand such power is a living entity, a human. Sealing the Kyuubi within an adult was not an option, as their chakra system would be too developed to handle the strain, preventing the seal from even taking hold. Unfortunately, that only left one option. A child. He would have to seal the demon within a child, a newborn child whose chakra system was just beginning to develop. Unsettled by this prospect, Arashi created a small army of Kage Bunshins to assist the wounded as he gave the order to withdrawal.

XXXXX

A short time later and some distance from the Kyuubi, Arashi called for a meeting with the surviving jounins and chuunins that had accompanied him to confront the Kyuubi. He briefly outlined his plan for a final confrontation just outside the village, leaving out the sealing and its details. He then instructed every able-bodied shinobi to make their best possible speed back to the city to assist in the continuing evacuation and the eventual confrontation with the Kyuubi. The only exception was a single ANBU team that he instructed to keep the Kyuubi under observation from a distance in case there were any changes in its speed or direction. Before the day was out, Konoha's forces would engage the Kyuubi once again and, hopefully, for the last time. After noting the grim but determined expressions on those around him, he nodded to them and turned to depart. Dawn was just breaking on the horizon and Arashi realized that this sunrise would be the last one he would ever witness. With this maudlin thought, the Yondaime once again utilized his prized technique, rapidly making his way back to Konoha.

XXXXX

Upon returning to the city, Arashi quickly headed towards Hokage Tower. As he traversed the city, he observed that although the evacuation was progressing, there had been little real progress. The streets beneath him were utter chaos, with civilians frantically trying to escape the village. The city's police force and the shinobi assisting them were being overwhelmed by the situation.

Once he reached the tower, he noticed that the shinobi occupants were a bit calmer, but still on edge. Arashi marched silently through its halls, passing numerous ninja as they hurried about their business. Finally, he came to his office, where he had left the Sandaime to coordinate the city's evacuation.

He entered the room, seeing the former Hokage raise his head from whatever paperwork his attention had been focused on. "From your grim appearance, I surmise that the confrontation did not go well."

"We were unable to disable or redirect the demon, but I have a plan to defeat the Kyuubi." Arashi spoke in a dull monotone. There was little point in elaborating on the defeat or in delaying the discussion of his plan.

The Sandaime observed the emotionless mask of his successor for a moment before continuing, "Although that statement should inspire confidence, I have a feeling that this plan is not without its costs. How do you plan to defeat it?"

"Shiki Fuujin." Sarutobi's stoic continence immediately faltered and he began to frown. After several moments of thought, he whispered, "There must be another way…"

"Unfortunately, one is not readily available nor is there time to research alternatives. We only have about ten hours now to prepare for the Kyuubi's arrival outside of the city. And if my thoughts are correct, Shiki Fuujin is just the first part of the process I will need to subdue the demon. I will also need to use an additional technique to transfer the Kyuubi to another vessel to ensure success. It will take at least couple of hours to prepare the complimentary seal to ensure that the vessel is able to restrain the beast…" At this point, Arashi faltered, as he had not yet stated the most disturbing part of his plan out loud. The voicing of his plan seemed to bring its execution that much closer to reality… with all its requisite costs. With a shuddering inhalation, the Yondaime continued, "The only vessel that will be able to contain the demon is a newborn child. The seal will bind the Kyuubi over time so that when the vessel passes from this world, it should take the Kyuubi with it."

Sarutobi paled even further as he heard what his successor said. The wrinkles that lined the old man's face deepened as he considered the statement and its implications. Grudgingly, Sarutobi acknowledged the merits of the plan, "Your plan should enable the child to contain the beast. But to give a child such a life…" Arashi nodded grimly. "The child will become my legacy, the person chosen by the Hokage himself to protect the village in his stead."

"Have you selected the ves… the child yet?" Arashi's eyes clouded slightly as he considered the costs of his plan. "No. I will visit the hospital shortly to review the records of recent births. That is a task that I would like to do personally and alone. It is a horrible thing I am about to inflict upon an innocent newborn and an unsuspecting family." Arashi turned to leave the room, intent on visiting his wife to inform her of his plans. After he said his goodbyes and finalized his affairs, he would then proceed to the hospital and begin the final preparations for the sealing.

"I will return in a few hours time to begin preparations for the sealing process and the final confrontation with the Kyuubi. In the mean time, please forward the current status and casualty reports to my home."

XXXXX

The current incarnation of the Kazama Compound was very different than the house Arashi had grown up in. The sprawling complex that had once housed his clan for several generations had been destroyed, leaving only the stonework and the surrounding walls as evidence of its existence. The warm, open structure that had been partially shaded by ancient trees and interspersed with well-maintained gardens had been replaced by a functional, rather austere dwelling. As the clan was much smaller than it had been, Arashi's plans for reconstruction had focused far more on safety and protection than on size and grandeur. That being said, the building that he had commissioned was perhaps his greatest achievement. The wards and seals protecting the household were revolutionary in design and had taken years to devise and implement. The materials alone had cost a king's ransom to procure and some had only been available due to a series of pinpoint raids executed during the war with Iwa. A sizable portion of the clan's resources had been expended to provide the compound with the most elaborate defensive arrangement he could design.

As he approached the compound, Arashi noted that it seemed to be unusually quiet. Although this had, unfortunately, come to be quite common over the past couple of years, today the silence seemed to have a heavy, almost foreboding, quality to it. Despite this feeling, Arashi entered the compound, both needing to see his wife and dreading the conversation that would follow. 'How do you tell the woman that you love that you are going to die? How do you tell your pregnant wife that their child will never have the chance to know their father?'

Kazama Hikari was currently seven months pregnant with their first child. Although Hikari telling him that he was going to be a father was one of the happiest moments of his life, this fact was also one his most closely guarded secrets. The Kazama Clan had been integral to Konoha's success in the recent shinobi conflicts, but not without great cost. The family had been decimated during the war with the Iwa, with the clan's youngest and oldest generations having been wiped out in an attack by Iwa ANBU. Given that the clan was vulnerable and had acquired a number of enemies both in recent and past conflicts, Arashi decided that hiding Hikari's pregnancy would be the safest course of action. While it may seem cowardly and underhanded, experience had taught Arashi that secrecy and misdirection were valuable tools in the shinobi world. Hikari, while a formidable ninja in her own right, would be vulnerable during the later months of the pregnancy and he would not always be close at hand. As far as the public knew, Hikari was recovering from an illness that required extensive bed rest.

As he approached the house, Arashi saw his surrogate uncle emerge from the main entrance. Kenji had been adopted by the Arashi's grandfather and raised alongside of his father. Despite having chosen to not become a ninja, the man had devoted his life to the Kazama Clan, assisting his father and himself in supervising the clan's commercial interests. Only recently had he settled down a begun a family of his own. With the exception of Arashi, Hikari, and a few cousins, they were the only inhabitants of the Kazama compound.

"Kenji, I need to speak with Hikari immediately. Do you know where she is?"

Seeing the normally unflappable man struggling with unshed tears, Arashi felt the feeling of dread he had felt earlier press down upon him even more heavily. After a moment, the man appeared to master his emotions once again and cleared his throat before speaking, "Arashi-sama, Hikari-sama went into labor shortly after you left to confront the demon. We tried to get some help from the hospital, but the hospital was in chaos and the labor progressed too rapidly. She passed away after giving birth to your son… she named him Naruto shortly before she passed. I am so sorry." Arashi was silent for a moment and then he began to chuckle. It was a dry, humorless chuckle that grated on one's soul, almost painful to hear. 'I guess that the old saying that when it rains, it pours is proving to be accurate.'

XXXXX

Arashi had little time to mourn his wife's passing as he began compiling the various seals that he would use to imprison the Kyuubi. This task was made a great deal easier as he used Kage Bunshins to divide and share the mental workload. Arashi also began to consider a number of different scenarios regarding Naruto's future. About two hours after his arrival in the compound, the reports that Arashi had requested from Sarutobi began to arrive. Moving immediately to the casualty reports, he confirmed something that he had been dreading. Looking over to his son, Arashi muttered, "Well, Naruto, it looks like we are the last of our clan."

While watching his son and contemplating his options, Arashi came to a grim decision. Turning from Naruto, Arashi created additional Kage Bunshins and sent them to complete several different tasks. If his plan were to have any chance of success, then it would need to be executed immediately. Arashi then picked up his son and went in search of Kenji.

Once he located Kenji, Arashi began to describe how he planned to defeat the Kyuubi and the role Naruto would play. As Arashi finished his explanation and the inevitable argument that followed, Kenji looked at him with a mixture of pity, anger, and understanding. Arashi could not recall a time when he had looked more defeated. With a solemn voice, Kenji stated, "I will do as you ask, Arashi-sama. While I disagree with this course of action, it is the least I can do, if it will lay some of your worries to rest."

"Please pack for the departure of you and your family from Konoha. I will send some clones to assist you. Meet me in two hours and be prepared to leave the city immediately. The task you are to perform is perhaps the most important and difficult task that has ever been asked of you in the service of our clan."

XXXXX

About four hours since they last saw each other, Arashi returned to Hokage tower with Naruto in his arms. Sarutobi grim appearance seemed to break at the sight of the new born. "So this is the child?"

Arashi looked down at his son as he silently begged his forgiveness for the deception. "Yes. He is a newborn orphan, whose mother passed away during his birth in the chaos of the evacuation. The hospital records did not identify his father. His name is Naruto."

The former Hokage sighed deeply as he observed the newborn infant. "Much like you stated earlier, I have been unable to come up with a viable alternative." The Sandaime continued to stare at Naruto for several moments before returning his gaze to Arashi. The Yondaime looked into the old man's resigned eyes and said, "We should begin the preparations for the sealing. When the Kyuubi arrives, I want you to be watching over Naruto near the battlefield. Once the sealing is complete, you will have to take over the leadership of the village once again." And with that comment, Sarutobi and Arashi left the office.

As the two began the process of placing the seals on both Arashi's and Naruto's abdomens, Sarutobi noted some peculiarities. Not only was this the most complex seal array that Sarutobi had ever seen, but there were some minor modifications to the traditional seals. When asked, the Yondaime responded that they were some special modifications that should assist Naruto in the years to come. While Sarutobi was widely known for his vast knowledge of ninja techniques, having earned himself the nickname of "The Professor," he did not have the intuitive grasp of seals that was now being demonstrated by his successor.

Upon completion of the seals, Arashi seemed to lose himself in thought briefly before turning towards Sarutobi, "I have a few final requests I would like to make of you." Upon Sarutobi's confirmation that he was listening, Arashi continued. "First, I have written a letter to Naruto that contains an explanation of my actions. Given the burden I am placing on him, it would probably be best if you encouraged him to become a shinobi. I would like to entrust this letter to you to deliver to him the day he graduates from the academy. I think that it will help him understand why he was chosen to bare this burden. Second, I have asked Kenji to leave the city immediately to fulfill an important task for me. It is unlikely that he or his family will return for many years. I need you to take care of any bureaucratic nonsense to ensure that he is not harassed." Arashi paused here as if to gain assurance that Sarutobi was listening. Once he saw that he had the former Hokage's undivided attention, he continued.

"The third item is a bit more personal. When I returned to the Kazama compound… I found that the stress of recent events and her continuing illness proved too much for Hikari and she had passed on. When the time comes, I would like to be laid to rest beside my wife. My final request is regarding the clan's holdings. The casualty reports indicate that the remaining members of the Kazama Clan perished in the confrontation with the Kyuubi. If any members of my clan have survived, please ensure that the proper order of succession is followed. There is a letter in the compound outlining my wishes if anyone survived. I activated the defenses around the Kazama Compound before I left. It is effectively locked down to everyone except Kazama blood relatives and Jiraiya."

"I am not optimistic about anyone having survived. Therefore, I would like to name you as trustee for the clan's assets. I have completed all the appropriate paperwork, so that should not be a problem. I would like for you to liquidate all the Kazama Clan's holdings, except the clan house and the family's land and property holdings. If the reports were accurate and every one has passed on, place the proceeds and the remaining property in trust, allowing a modest stipend to be provided to support Naruto and any other orphans resulting from the Kyuubi's attack. The letter to Naruto also contains some instructions regarding the final disposition of the trust."

His predecessor responded solemnly, "All will be done as you have requested, Arashi."

XXXXX

The ninja of Konoha began to engage the Kyuubi once again a mere three miles from Konoha's walls. While the ninja had been told to provide a distraction, this was not something that could be done bloodlessly. A number of ninja had already been killed, with many more having to be evacuated to the city with serious injuries. "Hold until the Hokage arrives! Don't let it get any closer to the village!"

XXXXX

In a darkened forest clearing not far away from the battle, a baby lay naked inside a carrier, lit only by the dying sunlight. The elderly Sandaime Hokage looked down upon the blonde haired boy deep in thought. The baby appeared to be asleep, breathing softly. An intricately drawn seal resided on its stomach, the mixture of black ink and blood contrasting sharply with the baby's delicate, pink skin. Gazing down at the sleeping baby, Sarutobi spoke gently, "Naruto-kun, I am so sorry for what is about to happen. I hope that, despite the burdens that you will endure, you will have a happy childhood and a bright future." Naruto gurgled in his sleep, causing the former Hokage to smile softly.

XXXXX

In the distance, a dull rhythmic rumbling could be heard, growing stronger with each repetition. From the surrounding forest, a giant toad emerged, nearly as large as large as the Kyuubi itself. The Yondaime had entered the battlefield once again, with trademark his white robes with red flames flying behind him, atop his summons, the great toad boss, Gamabunta. "The Fourth is here!" The ninja of Konoha seemed to redouble their efforts in the presence of their Hokage, his proximity strengthening their resolve and filling their hearts with hope.

As Gamabunta engaged the Kyuubi, the Yondaime began to perform hand seals with practiced ease. The Hokage completed the series of hand seals and paused. After what seemed like an eternity to the Yondaime, the jutsu took effect. The sky darkened rapidly as a huge spectral form took shape behind Arashi. The Kyuubi appeared to be paralyzed before the presence of Shinigami, the god of death. The Shinigami considered the situation for a moment and then reached towards the Kyuubi, its arm passing through the Yondaime's body. Before the Kyuubi could move to avoid the extending claw, the Shinigami struck, its fingers becoming entangled within the Kyuubi's very essence.

Observing the proceedings with a grim continence, Arashi prayed, 'Please work.' As the Shinigami tore the Kyuubi's soul from its body, Arashi began the hand seals for the final jutsu. As he completed the jutsu, Arashi began to feel himself weakening and fell to his knees. The seal on his stomach glowed brightly indicating that he had been successful. With the last of his strength, Arashi looked up to witness the Kyuubi's body beginning to disintegrate. Smiling at his success, he shifted his focus towards where Naruto and Sarutobi should have been residing. "I am so sorry…"

To the horror of the surrounding ninja, Arashi fully collapsed on top of Gamabunta's head. Gamabunta solemnly lowered Arashi's body to the ground before him. He gazed sadly at the fallen shinobi for a moment before dissipating in a large cloud of smoke. Amidst the cries of triumph and celebration rang calls for a med-nin to attend to the Hokage. But many of the surrounding ninja appeared to realize exactly what the victory had cost the Hokage.

A few minutes later, the Sandaime passed through the crowd holding a bundle in his arms, its contents hidden from view. His journey ended a short distance from the body of the late Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi. Sarutobi closed his eyes and bowed his head in a moment of silence. The gathered crowd followed his lead, the distant cries of the wounded and the crackling of a nearby fire serving to emphasis the solemn nature of the proceedings. After a few moments, the Hokage raised his head and addressed the crowd. "The Yondaime Hokage has passed on, having made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of this village. He used a Forbidden Sealing technique to seal the Kyuubi within a living vessel. The child in my arms is his legacy and the Hero of Konoha."

XXXXX

In the days that followed the attack, Sarutobi's faith in Konoha was sorely tested. Where he thought he would find sadness and understanding, he found anger and bitterness. The drunken mutterings of a few shinobi spread throughout the village like wild fire. While some of the Kyuubi's attacks had caused some property damage to the city, there had been few civilian casualties. But despite the civilian population having experienced minimal damage from the attack, the villagers rallied in the wake of the Yondaime's death for the execution of Naruto. It appeared that this movement was driven by both fear and anger. The fear, though misguided, was fairly understandable. The anger was far more complicated. The village's confrontations with the Kyuubi resulted in numerous shinobi deaths, including the loss of the village's hero. Konoha was just beginning to recover from the Third Great Shinobi War and the most recent losses probably had set the village back by at least a decade. The only saving grace was that the other villages were not in a position to take advantage of the situation. So Naruto, a newborn infant, became the scapegoat for the village's misfortunes and the death of its hero. It was in this tension filled atmosphere that Sarutobi imposed one of the most draconian secrecy laws ever written. He hoped that Naruto would have a chance at a normal childhood despite the animosity that villagers were demonstrating.

During this time, Sarutobi had begun looking into Naruto's origins. He had eventually realized that he did not even know the infant's last name or anything of his family. Though there had been a number of pressing issues at the time, the Hokage felt rather foolish for not asking Arashi for additional information about the infant. However, Sarutobi was unable to find out anything about the infant's past. None of the hospital staff recalled having seen the Yondaime on the day of the sealing or knew the identity of Naruto's mother. There were also no records of a mother having passed away during childbirth within the past three month. All the children that had been born at the hospital during this period had been accounted for. For all intents and purposes, Naruto seemed to have suddenly come into being on the day of the sealing; his origins shrouded in mystery in the wake of the Yondaime's death. Sarutobi, having resumed his duties as Hokage, gave the mysterious infant the family name Uzumaki, after the spiraling maelstrom of events surrounding his birth.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 02: The Letter

The Sandaime was returning to Hokage Tower after an eventful evening. The sky overhead was clear and countless stars twinkled merrily. The night air was cool, but not unpleasantly so. Overall, it was a pleasant night for a walk; an opinion apparently shared by a number of Konoha citizens. As he walked down the well-lit streets, Sarutobi came across civilians and ninja, couples and families… A veritable cross section of the village's populous. Those that recognized the elderly Hokage greeted him with a respectful nod or salutation. Overall, it was a relaxing respite from the events of only a few hours ago.

The evening had seen him knocked senseless by a juvenile technique, the Forbidden Scroll stolen, a village wide search for one of its most elusive citizens, and a fight between a traitorous chuunin instructor and an academy student. Surprisingly enough, Naruto was able to protect a wounded Iruka and defeat Mizuki by using a jounin level kinjutsu that he had learned from the Forbidden Scroll. What was astonishing about this feat was that this same boy had not passed his genin test earlier in the day when his attempt to perform Bunshin no jutsu failed. The Sandaime shook his head as he thought, 'A true demonstration of the spirit of fire if there ever was one.'

Shortly afterward, the ANBU had located Naruto and Iruka and everything was returned to normal. The Forbidden Scroll was back in his possession, to be secured in a far more formidable fashion. Mizuki was in the hands of Morino Ibiki for what would probably be a rather lengthy 'discussion' regarding his actions. And despite Mizuki meddling, Sarutobi was prepared to fulfill an obligation he had accepted over fourteen years ago. The Sandaime continued his peaceful trek towards the tower, wondering, 'Has it really been that long?'

XXXXX

It was almost midnight before Naruto arrived at Hokage Tower as the old man had requested. It had been a long day for the young ninja and it appeared that it was not going to end anytime soon. After he had been healed at the hospital, Iruka-sensei had treated him to a meal at Ichiraku's Ramen, which had stayed open late upon hearing that they were celebrating the graduation of their 'Number One Customer'. The way the retired chuunin and his daughter had smiled at him as he recounted his evening had pleased him to no end. It was almost as satisfying as receiving his hitai-ate from Iruka-sensei. During the meal, the Hokage had stopped by and asked Naruto to come to his office after they had finished. Before departing, he specifically told Iruka that the two of them should not rush their discussions and that he would be in his office for several hours. Naruto knocked lightly on the office's door before opening it. He found the old man sitting at his desk, reading over some of the paperwork that seemed to constantly litter his office.

Looking up from his reading, the Hokage greeted his young guest, "Thank you for coming Naruto. Please have a seat."

Naruto sat down and scratched the back of his head as he began to speak, "I am sorry about earlier tonight. I thought it was just a test and that you were part of it. It was like a real mission instead of a classroom test and I really wanted to pass this one."

The Sandaime smiled at the contrite Naruto. It was a rare instance where Naruto would apologize for his actions, but these apologies were always heartfelt and genuine. "Well, whether anybody wants to admit it or not, you were able to remove a highly important scroll from a secure location. That is proof enough that you deserve to be a Konoha shinobi. And there was no harm done in the end. However, I would appreciate it if you did not discuss the specifics of what happened earlier tonight with others."

Naruto grinned as he responded, "You just don't want others to think that you are a dirty old man."

Sarutobi decided to ignore the childish, if accurate, observation. Clearing his throat, the Sandaime moved on to the reason he had asked Naruto to stop by his office. "While I am sure you have a number of questions regarding what you learned tonight, I would like for you to wait until after you have read a message that was entrusted to me several years ago."

Naruto waited silently with a curious but confused expression, as the Sandaime stacked the papers he had been reviewing off to the side before retrieving a scroll from inside one of his desk drawers. "While you did find out about the Kyuubi no Kitsune in an unorthodox manner, I want you to know that you would have been informed of this information in the coming days. You were meant to discover the facts surrounding the sealing on the day you graduated from the academy. Kazama Arashi, the Yondaime Hokage, entrusted me with the scroll that I am holding over fourteen years ago. It is an explanation of his actions that he wanted you to have. Its delivery was one of his last requests and it is one that I am pleased to honor. As this is something you have a right to know, I was going to give you the letter in the coming days, no matter the outcome of the examination. I hope that it will help you understand the circumstances behind the Kyuubi's attack and the sealing that followed. Once you have finished reading the scroll, I will try to answer any questions you may have."

The Sandaime passed the scroll to Naruto, who took it with wide-eyed reverence. The scroll was fairly small when compared to the Forbidden Scroll from earlier in the evening, but an elaborate looking seal secured its contents, causing Naruto to pause. Sarutobi, observing Naruto's hesitation, explained, "The scroll is secured with a blood seal. Unless I am sorely mistaken, you are the only person who can open the scroll without it self-destructing. To open it, simply bite your thumb and swipe some of your blood across the seal." Naruto did so and unrolled the parchment to reveal a letter written in a neat, but hurried scrawl.

Dear Naruto,

If my plans have been successful, you should be receiving this letter soon after your graduation from the academy. I should probably start off by introducing myself. My name is Kazama Arashi. I have had many titles in my lifetime, some better known than others. My enemies in battle dubbed me the Yellow Flash of Konoha, due to the characteristic flash of one of my most formidable techniques. The citizens of Konoha saw fit to dub me the Yondaime Hokage, a position I have proudly held for the last four years. However, the two titles that I am most proud of would probably be considered the least important: husband and, most recently, father. More specifically, your father. While I am sure this statement may trigger a variety of emotions, possibly surprise, confusion, or anger, I ask you to finish this letter before you come to any conclusions about me. I also beg with you to bear with me if I tend to ramble, as I have much that I must tell you but little time in which to organize my thoughts.

I have written this letter to explain the burden I have placed upon you and why I have done so. Two days ago, our scouts patrolling the boarders of Fire Country reported that Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the tailed demons, appeared to be heading towards Konoha. After our forces unsuccessfully confronted the beast, I concluded that the only way to prevent the Kyuubi from reaching its destination and causing countless deaths was to seal it using a forbidden technique that would result in my death. While this is not how I imagined I would meet my end, it is ingrained upon the very soul of every true shinobi that they may be called upon to give their life for the safety of their village. It is a sacrifice that I will make willingly when the time comes.

This conclusion, however, caused me a great amount of distress; not for myself, but for the vessel of the demon. The forbidden technique that I will use usually destroys to target's soul, but the Kyuubi is far too powerful to be destroyed so easily. I also know that no physical structure or object could hope to contain the Kyuubi. The only thing that could withstand such power is a living entity, a human. Sealing the Kyuubi within an adult was not an option, as their chakra systems would be too developed to handle the strain, preventing the seal from even taking hold. The only solution was to seal the demon within a child, a newborn child whose chakra system was just beginning to develop. During the journey back to Konoha, I agonized over the future I was about to inflict upon a newborn child and what I would have to ask one family to do in order to save the village.

Upon my return to Konoha, I learned that fate has a really sick sense of humor. Due to the stress of recent events, your mother, who was seven month pregnant at the time, had entered labor prematurely. The Kyuubi's attack and the ongoing evacuation of Konoha led to serious disruptions of the city's medical services. Due to the lack of proper medical care and complications associated with premature labor, your mother had passed away in my absence. The first time I held you in my arms, is the first time I even considered abandoning my duties as Hokage. As a father, it disgusted me what I was considering to do to my own son. But as a Hokage, I realized that I could not ask another family to do what I was not willing to do myself.

I truly cannot comprehend the obstacles you will have faced up till this point in your life or the ones you will face as you continue into adulthood. Though I would like to believe that the citizens of Konoha have treated you as the hero you truly are, I know that people in general tend to be bitter and short sighted. I would not put it past them to look towards a helpless infant as the source of their suffering instead of their salvation. Unfortunately, I objectively realize that you represent the best chance of the sealing being successful. This is due the heritage of our clan.

In the years before the founding of Konoha, the Kazamas were a relatively unknown clan from Fire Country's border with Cloud Country. The nomadic Kazamas found a home in Konoha prior to the founding of Hokage system and the clan flourished, both growing in numbers and rising in prominence. While our clan never became as numerous as some others, we were well respected and deemed utterly trustworthy and loyal to the village. Similar to the Uchiha Clan being the strength of the Konoha police force, the Kazamas became what many would consider to be the backbone of the ANBU.

The strength of our clan was derived from our kekkei genkai known as the Bodishinka (Evolving Body or "Body Evolution"). To put it in simple terms, our bodies utilize chakra to slowly adapt themselves to better deal with the strains that are placed on them. Unlike some other bloodlines, ours will not instantly gift you with godlike powers of observation or prediction. You can only gain the true benefits of the Bodishinka through blood, sweat, and tears. To put it simply, the harder you push yourself, the more stress you place upon your body, the better the results. For this reason, the Kazama Clan is known to thrive under the most brutal of training methods and conditions.

There are a number of benefits associated with our bloodline. For instance, you may have noticed that you heal far more rapidly than other children your age. This is usually the first benefit of our bloodline to manifest. Essentially, your body has learned how to deal with injuries and is able to hasten the healing process by utilizing chakra to accelerate cell regeneration and to improve our immune systems. In addition, your body will eventually adapt itself to make common injuries less likely. For instance, if you break a bone, our bloodline will not only heal the break itself, but it will make the bone stronger than it was before the injury. It can honestly be said, 'That which doesn't kill us will only make us stronger.'

Another attribute of our clan is the ability to use few if any hand seals for our most frequently used jutsus. It has been hypothesized that our bodies slowly learn to use chakra on an almost instinctual level so that use of hand seals to focus that energy becomes redundant. This has two primary advantages. First, our enemies are given little to no warning with regards to the jutsu we are going execute. Second, our techniques become nearly impossible to copy, either through normal observation or through the Sharingan.

The final benefit is more of a side effect of our bloodline. Due to our bodies' continuous use of chakra to heal and sustain us, we are constantly exercising and increasing our chakra abilities. As a result, our chakra capacity and chakra recovery rates tend to be much greater than the average shinobi. As chakra capacity can often be the deciding factor in a battle between two equally matched opponents, this attribute alone makes our family both feared and respected in the ninja world.

The ability of our bodies to adapt to the stresses that are placed on it will enable you to cope far better than anyone else with the presence of the Kyuubi. You will become the warden of an evolving prison, maintaining a constant vigil over the demon.

After having read the description of our bloodline, please do not assume that we are invincible. All bloodlines have inherent weaknesses and ours is no different. Serious injuries in battle will rapidly decrease your stamina, as your body will start to draw almost immediately on your chakra reserves to heal itself. Another problem is that due to our traditionally large chakra reserves, our nominal chakra control is horrible. We are practically unable to use many low to mid-level jutsu until we have trained extensively in chakra control techniques. The final weakness is that the gifts of our bloodline are slightly irregular. Like I have said, the true benefits of our bloodline can only be gained through hard work. But even then the results vary. I happen to have been the strongest in our bloodline in recent history, so I hope that many of the benefits I have described have been passed down to you. Usually, our abilities do not fully manifest until our mid to late teens, but your tenant may have some impact this process.

Despite having such a potent bloodline, the last twenty years have not been kind to our clan. Due to certain events related to our representation in the ANBU, the Kazama Clan was nearly wiped out during the Third Shinobi War. The preliminary reports from the confrontation with the Kyuubi indicate that the few remaining members of our clan were killed in the battle. Sadly, this means that after tonight, you will be the last of our clan.

Few people were aware that Hikari was pregnant in the months preceding her death. Your mother and I decided to keep her pregnancy a secret until after you were born due to the precarious position of our clan. The Kyuubi's attack has only served to exacerbate these problems. Of all my actions, denying you knowledge of your heritage is probably the one that you will question the most. But there are a number of reasons why I did not think it prudent to reveal your heritage to you or anyone else until now. One is that, as you will soon be alone in this world, you would have been subject to the whims and manipulations of various political forces. The council, which assists the Hokage in managing the civilian affairs of the city, has the near absolute authority with regards to the review and approval of guardianship arrangements. While I like to think the best of humanity in general, I believe that had your lineage been known, you would have become a political prize to be fought over. While outright theft of your heritage would not be possible, it would not be unheard of for this guardian to enter into arrangements that did not have your best interests at heart.

The second reason is that I have seen how many children of wealthy and prestigious clans can grow up to be arrogant and conceited. My fear is that, without the grounding influence of your mother or myself, you may have developed preconceptions of superiority or entitlement. The Uchiha and Hyuuga clans would be perfect examples of this, though I am sure that there are exceptions. My hope is that when you receive this letter, you have grown up to be humble and accepting of others. It is my greatest hope that you are well on your way to being a strong, self-reliant young man capable of drawing his own conclusions with regards to the world around him.

The final reason for this delay is that our clan and myself, personally, have accumulated a number of enemies over the past several decades. While I am certain that Sarutobi would attempt to provide the best possible security, there is a level of security that only anonymity can provide. There are those in the world that would not flinch at killing a helpless infant if it meant ridding the world of the last Kazama.

Although your natural tendency will probably be to claim your birthright immediately, especially after having been denied it for so long, I ask that you wait until you reach the level of Chuunin. Again, there are a couple of reasons. First, as you have not had anyone to guide you in overcoming the difficulties associated with our bloodline, you probably had to struggle through the academy. That you have succeeded, despite the obstacles I have mentioned, speaks well for your perseverance. Now that you understand the reasons for these difficulties, you will have time to adjust your training and prepare for the risks and dangers that will arise once you claim your heritage.

The second reason is that Chuunin rank grants you the status of an adult in the eyes of the village and the council. This will prevent anyone from hindering you from claiming your inheritance and your rights as the head of one of the village's senior clans. The political influence of this position and your standing as an adult will enable you avoid many of the manipulations I mentioned earlier.

The next topic may seem a little awkward as you are probably just beginning to think about girls, but I want to discuss certain aspects of your future relationships – namely with regards to rebuilding our clan. As you will shortly be the sole survivor of our clan, you have certain... responsibilities with regards to children. Once the council realizes your lineage, they may attempt pressure you with regards to you continuing the bloodline. The council, having foreseen that a powerful clan may come to the brink of extinction, has passed certain laws that would assist in the rapid recovery of the affected clan. The simple logic being that the greater number of children born to the clan, the greater assurance the bloodline will survive the crisis. For this reason, Konoha's laws allow for polygamous relationships in times of great stress. Luckily, if you choose to delay claiming your heritage as I have advised, you should be able to avoid any arranged marriages and retain the ability to make your own decisions in this matter.

That having been said, I would like to offer you a piece of fatherly advice. Whether you decide pursue a polygamous relationship or not, please only marry for love. The years your mother and I had together were the most rewarding of my life. There is really no way to adequately describe how it feels to be with someone who knows all your strengths and weaknesses, who has seen into the depths of your soul and still accepts you. The situation I have described is precious and, once found, should be cherished.

As I look at you while writing this letter, I cannot help but smile. While it seems that you are going to favor me with regard to your looks, I want to know that you have your mother's eyes. Your mother's name was Hikari. She was a beautiful woman with light brown hair and the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen. I would like to be able to say that it was love at first sight, but that was not the case. I first met your mother during my first Chuunin Exam. My team had passed the written test and the survival test with ease, and I had trained heavily leading up to the tournament. Being the heir of one of the strongest clans in Konoha and having been a member of the first rookie genin team to be entered in the past decade, I was fairly confident of my victory.

My first opponent was an attractive brunette who had graduated from the academy one year ahead of me. Her name was Hikari and, while I remembered a rumor that she had been orphaned shortly after I entered the academy, I could not recall any other information of significance. Once again, I was confident of my victory and was already planning the strategies I would employ against my next opponent. Let us say that those strategies were not needed. I was defeated. Completely. Utterly. Totally. I woke up in the hospital three hours later to be informed that your mother had progressed to the finals and won the tournament. Now, I will be the first to admit that I was a fairly stubborn person and a bit of a sore loser. After I recovered, I began to challenge your mother at every opportunity. I eventually lost count of the number of times she stomped my ass into the ground. Even after I achieved Chuunin rank in the next examination, my losing streak against your mother continued. I eventually began motivating myself by making stupid declarations of what I would do once I was victorious or if I was defeated. What can I say? I was young and a bit of an idiot.

Anyways, a couple of years later, I returned to the village from a very long, extended mission. Having been back in the Konoha for only a couple of days, I came across Hikari in one of the training areas. I know that you probably don't want to hear this about your own mother, but the years had been very kind to her and I was dumbstruck for a bit. After I recovered my ability to speak, I challenged her to a sparing match. She accepted and, for the sake of old times, I declared that she would be the guest of honor at my victory dinner if I defeated her. It was an interesting match, but I won in the end. I was ecstatic. But even though I had won, I was able to restrain myself from gloating, as my stunning string of defeats had taught me a lesson in humility that continues to endure to this day. I selected a very nice restaurant for my victory dinner, otherwise known as our first date, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the evening. That first date eventually led to a second and the rest is history. It wasn't until about a year after that first sparring match that I thought it was rather suspicious that she had lost that particular match. When I asked her if she had allowed me to win that match, her only response was to smile at me. She simply smiled. After I pondered this response for a while, I concluded that I really didn't care. Just so you know, she never did answer my question, even after we were married. While there are innumerable other stories I wish I could tell you, my time is running short and I need to make some final preparations for the sealing.

The final item I must address is the location of the clan's training and technique scrolls. When you eventually enter the Kazama Compound, you will find that the clan's scrolls have been removed. I have done so to ensure that your legacy will remain untouched until you are prepared to claim it. While the seals protecting the clan compound are immensely strong, even the most powerful defense will collapse under the right circumstances. I also could not leave them with Sarutobi because, although I trust the old man implicitly, I do not know how long he will retain the position of Hokage that he has agreed to reassume upon my death. I am unwilling to trust the intentions of his successor, whomever that may be, because I have seen that the Third is only human and cannot see into the hearts of man. I have entrusted the scrolls to Takahiro Kenji, our family's most trusted retainer and my surrogate uncle. Outside of the Kazamas, he and his family are the only individuals in Konoha that knew of Hikari's pregnancy and the true reason for her death. It was only through his family's undying loyalty to the Kazamas that I was able to convince him to leave you in the care of Sarutobi and fulfill my last wishes. The scrolls have been secured in a fashion similar to this letter, though with far more deadly protections against forced entry. I have asked Kenji to leave Konoha this very night and return only when he receives word that you have claimed your heritage. When he returns, I ask that you honor him as you would a grandfather, for he has served the Kazamas faithfully throughout his life.

Writing this letter has been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. For this letter to be only form of direct contact that we will ever have causes me no small amount of grief. I cannot ask for your forgiveness with regards to the burden I have placed upon you. I only ask for your understanding. Please know that wherever we are, your mother and I are watching over you and love you very much.

Your Father,

Kazama Arashi

PS – I have enclosed instructions for both the Sandaime and my old sensei in the seal below. Please release the seal in the same manner as this letter and deliver the enclosed scrolls.

Naruto cut his thumb once again to release the indicated seal and wordlessly handed the two scrolls to the Hokage. After a moment of thought, Naruto also handed over his own letter, as he wanted to ask the Hokage about some of its contents. As the old man read the scroll addressed to him and Naruto's letter, the young ninja found that his mind was attempting to move in several different directions at once. 'This morning I was a simple academy student trying to become a genin. Now I find out that I contain one of the most powerful beings to ever exist, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. In addition, the Yondaime, who just happens to have been my hero since I can remember, was the one who sealed the demon into me. And, if that was not enough, it turns out that the Yondaime was my own father and he passed down a bloodline that sounds really cool.'

After a few moments, Naruto's thoughts began to take a slightly darker turn. The letter had also addressed many of the difficulties Naruto faced in his day-to-day life. The reason that he didn't have any friends was because the villagers were aware of the Kyuubi and hated him for it. The reason that he didn't have any family was because they had given their lives to defeat the being he now contained. Even his 'really cool' bloodline appeared to be at least partially responsible for his poor jutsu skills. Naruto's thoughts continued to jump around, almost at random, as he considered what he had learned.

Sarutobi sighed heavily as he finished reading Arashi's letters. 'Of all the things that I was expecting of this meeting, this was not one of them.' The Sandaime absently filled and lit his pipe as he collected his thoughts. "Naruto, I think that it would be wise to keep your identity hidden, at least for the time being. Your father was fairly accurate about the political implications of your identity and you will need to improve your skills so that you may deal with these new dangers."

The Hokage gazed absently out the window as he continued to think out loud. "As far as I know, the Bodishinka does not have any distinctive traits. This should make it fairly easy to hide your identity, even as you adapt your training to develop your abilities. While it was generally accepted that the Kazama Clan possessed special abilities, your family was always highly secretive with regard to the specifics of your bloodline. A few of the larger shinobi clans may have gathered and recorded their observations, but they would have had to piece together clues and hypothesize about the Kazama Clan's abilities. This letter is the most detailed description of the bloodline to be seen by an outsider in several generations. I believe that this is the first time in two generations that the existence of a Kazama bloodline has even been confirmed, outside of your father's sensei. Any official records are probably in Kenji's possession."

Sarutobi looked towards Naruto and noticed that his attention appeared to be focused on his own thoughts. The elderly Hokage sighed again. 'Well, I guess this is quite a bit for anyone to take in at once. At least this will give me some time to think about what these revelations mean, both for Naruto and for the rest of the village.'

"Naruto… Why don't you think about what you have discovered tonight and come talk to me in a couple of days. I only ask that you don't tell anyone about these revelations until after our discussion. Is that acceptable?"

"Sure, old man. I'll come by in a couple of days." Naruto's response shocked the Hokage, as his customary enthusiasm was completely absent. The young shinobi exited the office and returned to his apartment, well aware that it would be many hours before he would fall asleep.

A/N

Story Statistics as of 06/10/2007

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	3. Chapter 3

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 03: The Test

Naruto slowly woke up from his troubled sleep. With a heavy sigh, he reached up to remove the grit from his eyes and glanced around his apartment. The light that filtered through his window revealed that the worn furniture that was present in his bedroom looked the same as when he had acquired years ago: old and beaten, but functional. Naruto wearily rose from his bed and stumbled across the hall towards the bathroom. The face the greeted him in the mirror stared back at him with tired, bloodshot eyes. Naruto's day was not off to a good start.

The mental stress of yesterday's events had caused a great cloud to rest over his head. The combination of the failed genin examination, Mizuki's breaking of the Sandaime's secrecy law, the ensuing battle, and his father's letter left him feeling empty inside. Naruto had slept very little last night, but he could not remember having thought anything of importance. He had just lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Now that he thought about it, it was one of the strangest sensations he had ever felt. Naruto knew that he should be feeling a number of different emotions: satisfaction and pride at having become a ninja, vindication that he had proven Mizuki wrong about the Kyuubi, anger at burden he had been placed upon him and his treatment because of it, and contentment at finally knowing something of his origins. But he was not feeling any of these emotions. He just felt numb.

Naruto performed his morning routine automatically, his thoughts and emotions still the same jumbled mess they had been the night before. Upon his departure from apartment, Naruto found that he was having great difficulty in assuming his typical mask of impenetrable cheerfulness. Though he had never wanted to dwell on it, he had always wondered why he was spat upon and alone, while everyone else was able to enjoy the warmth of family and companionship. Even when he was younger, he had realized that he was treated very different from other children.

As a young child, he remembered watching other children in the park introduce themselves to each other and run off to play, with their parents often babbling nearby about the innocence of youth. Whenever he had attempted to make friends, the parents would rush over to threaten him and warn their children to stay away from him. It had taken several iterations of this scene before Naruto realized that he was not allowed to play in the park with the other children. As Naruto walked down the street towards the academy, most of the villagers he encountered completely ignored him. Their actions rankled Naruto more than just about anything else. He had come to prefer even the cold, angry stares he received from some of the villagers, rather than unseeing eyes of those that did not even acknowledge his existence. Naruto scowled darkly at this thought as he continued his journey to the academy.

XXXXX

Naruto entered the academy classroom and seated himself in the back row. Glancing around listlessly, the classroom appeared exactly as it had for the past two years. 'That's right. It has been two years since Iruka-sensei had become the class's instructor. Somehow it does not seem to have been that long.' After this stream of thought, Naruto absently realized that he must have woken up far earlier than normal, as the classroom was totally vacant. Naruto settled himself into his seat and let his mind wonder over recent events.

XXXXX

The rest of the class filed in slowly over the next hour, most ignoring the silent blonde in the far corner. Naruto absently noted that an argument erupted between Sakura-chan and her blonde-haired rival over who would get the seat closest to their almighty 'Sasuke-kun'. Naruto snorted in derision before returning his gaze out the window. With about three minutes to spare, Inuzuka Kiba entered the room only to find Naruto occupying his normal seat.

The slightly feral looking student decided to take out his irritation at this encroachment on his territory on the distracted blonde. "Naruto, why are you even here today? Didn't you know that this class is only for those that passed their examination and not for failures like you? So get the hell out of here before you embarrass yourself further." Much of the class quieted at Kiba's outburst, interested in seeing how Naruto would react and curious as to why he was here.

Naruto's normally animated eyes focused dully on Kiba, looking fairly irritated at having been roused from his thoughts. Unwilling to let such a challenge pass by, Naruto responded, "Are you blind as well as dumb, dog breath? This forehead protector indicates that I am a ninja… same as you. Perhaps you should use that brain of yours for more that just keeping your skull from caving in and think before you start mouthing off." This comment was delivered in a cold, scathing tone that surprised and silenced most of his peers. Kiba made to charge Naruto, only to be restrained by some of his friends. After struggling for a couple of seconds, they managed to convince him to sit down and avoid causing trouble before being assigned to a genin team.

In the front of the room, Sasuke frowned; more irritated that Naruto was causing a disturbance than at his odd behavior. He was far too concerned about his own problems to worry about the mood swings of the dobe. 'How am I supposed to surpass my brother if I am constantly being held back by this village? The Hokage just had to adjust the academy standards to delay graduation for two years after Itachi's betrayal. By the time Itachi was fourteen; he already possessed the fully developed Sharingan and was a member of the village's powerful ANBU division. How am I supposed to become stronger if this village is constantly holding me back and forcing me to stagnate with these idiots?'

Iruka arrived a few moments later and the class quieted down. Time seemed to progress relatively rapidly as Iruka began his speech about the expectations and responsibilities of a ninja. After he finished, he began to read off the various genin teams.

"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke." Iruka glanced around the classroom, as he did not hear the expected exclamation from Naruto at have been stuck with 'Sasuke-teme' or his cheers at being placed on the same team as his 'Sakura-chan'. After a moment of searching, the chuunin instructor located the blonde in the back of the room, staring listlessly out the window. Iruka sent him a concerned look, wondering what could have caused Naruto to look so lost, but continued reading off the assigned teams.

"Team Eight: Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba." The reactions from this team were as expected as it contained two of the quietest individuals that Iruka had ever trained. Kiba also didn't show any visible reaction and seemed to be brooding about something. 'Someone probably insulted Akamaru or something.'

"Team Ten: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, and Yamanaka Ino." Iruka watched as the affable Chouji reached over and patted Shikamaru on the back, obviously pleased at having been placed on the same team as his best friend. The pineapple-haired boy responded with a lazy smile before returning his gaze out the window. Ino seemed to be mumbling to herself about how fate seemed to be against her, but that she would persevere. Iruka shook his head at the trio as he completed the team assignments.

With another concerned glance at Naruto, Iruka concluded the class by informing them that they should remain in the classroom and wait for the jounin instructor to pick them up. With that statement, he wished his students luck and exited the classroom. As the class had worn on, Naruto had noticed that he was actually becoming sleepy. Hoping to catch at least a light nap before their sensei arrived; Naruto rested his head on his arms and drifted off to sleep.

XXXXX

The dream began with a broad expanse of grass. The sun sat high overhead, bathing the field and the surrounding trees in its warm light. A young woman was resting on the grass and appeared to be watching something in the distance. Most of her features were indistinct, but Naruto could tell that she was smiling fondly at whatever held her attention. The scene in front of him appeared to radiate contentment on so many levels, that Naruto could not help but become entranced. Naruto focused on what details he could observe about the woman. She appeared a fair bit older than him, probably late twenties or early thirties. She had light brown hair cut slightly longer than shoulder length. It was completely unbound and moved languidly in the gently breeze. Her clothing appeared to be that on an off duty kunoichi, but he really wasn't certain, as she didn't carry any visible weapons.

The woman's hand came up and brushed a lock of her brown hair behind her ear as she glanced behind her. The woman rose from her seated position and cast another look behind her before returning her attention to whatever she had been observing seconds before. A tall blonde-haired man entered the scene, dressed in the style typical of a Konoha jounin. It took Naruto only a second to identify the man, as the man's craved visage had sat overlooking the village since before he was born. Naruto realized that the monument and all the pictures that he had seen of the man really hadn't captured his essence. Where the woman appeared to radiate happiness and contentedness, the man appeared to be power and confidence incarnate, as if no force on earth would keep him from his appointed task. The Yondaime walked purposefully towards the woman, his expression a mixture of happiness and something that Naruto couldn't quite place.

The tall man embraced the woman from behind, his hands joining in front of her. He leaned down and began to whisper something in the woman's ear. Naruto felt that was intruding on something very personal as the woman both laughed and blushed in response to what she was hearing. This conversation carried on for a minute or two with both parties seemingly oblivious to the outside world. Suddenly, the pair's attention was fully focused on something in the distance and the two disengaged from their embrace. The Yondaime knelt beside the woman and remained there for a second or two. Just as Naruto was beginning to wonder at this change, a blur of color appeared and rushed towards the Yondaime. It wasn't more than an instant before the blur was caught and thrown high into the air.

The blur slowed as it reached the pinnacle of the throw and was revealed to be a small blonde-haired boy. The boy looked to be about three or four years old and was wearing black shorts with an orange shirt. The toss into the air was obviously a normal event for the boy, as he was laughing and giggling uncontrollably. The boy began his return to earth only to be caught by the smiling Yondaime. The woman was now a few feet away, attempting to look at scene in a disapproving manner…, but the smile on her face betrayed her efforts. The Yondaime made to hold the boy in his arms, but younger blonde didn't appear too happy about this situation. The boy stopped his squirming only after being placed on the Yondaime's shoulders. The two parents resumed their conversation as the young boy seemed content to look around the field and mess up the Yondaime's hair.

Slowly, it dawned on the teenaged Naruto that he was the boy in the scene. Naruto's breath hitched as he continued to observe both his father and what had to be his mother enjoying a relaxing day at the park. Naruto felt a strange surge of emotion as he continued to observe the happy trio.

"It's a heartwarming scene, isn't it?" Naruto's head whipped around towards the intruder, only to find old man Sarutobi standing beside him. The elderly Hokage was dressed in normal clothes and the worry lines that normally etched his face were absent. The man seemed to be enjoying an afternoon walk in the park, smoking his ever-present pipe. 'Has he been there the entire time?'

The old man continued to watch the young family, his expression a strange mixture of wonder and sadness. "It is often painful to reflect on what might have been. It becomes even more painful when you had a role in the actual events. You start to second guess your actions and decisions, often latching on to the best case scenario, no matter how unlikely. The statement 'What if I had…' begins to keep you up at night, robbing you of your sleep."

Naruto returned his attention to the park just in time for the scene to shift before his eyes. The smiling pair of parents vanished and a grim looking street replaced the sunbathed field of grass. The small blonde boy, now dressed in a dirty, overly large shirt and a tattered pair of pants, stood looking scared among towering indistinct shapes that hurried about their business. The boy was standing still and was constantly being jostled by the passing adults. The boy was eventually shoved off the curb and appeared to hurt himself. The passing adults barely spared him a glance before hurrying along their way. No one stopped to help the injured boy and he simply sat in the street, cradling his injured arm and crying silent tears. The boy eventually dried his eyes and rose to depart for his destination. No one had stopped to help him or had spared him more than a passing glance throughout the entire scene.

"Pain is a part of life. Pain is as important as pleasure. Without having experienced one, the other is meaningless. You can not truly appreciate the joys of friends and family… without having experienced the pain of loneliness and isolation."

The street was replaced by an image that was indelibly burned into Naruto's mind. The scene had been repeated countless times and had served as a continuous reminder that he was alone in the world. The academy grounds lay before him and classes appeared to have just been released. Numerous children were escaping from the confines of their classrooms and were spilling out of the academy's entrance. There, the younger children were greeted by either friends or family. Some children received hugs from their parents while others were simply greeted with a warm smile. In the foreground of the scene, the young blonde boy sat, looking to be several years older than he had been in the previous scene, hunched over on a lonely swing. The identity of the boy was not in question, as he was clothed in a bright orange jump suit. While the group of children and parents were bathed in bright sunlight, the solitary figure sitting on the swing was obscured by shadows. While his face was not visible to the observing pair, the blonde's sadness and longing were almost tangible.

With a puff of his pipe, the Sandaime spoke once again, "Fate has treated you harshly, but it is often darkest before the dawn. You can not change the past and you should not allow bitterness or anger to cloud your future."

The scene shifted one final time. The dream Naruto now stood facing the pair, looking very much like his observing counterpart, but with some obvious differences. Instead of the infamous orange jumpsuit, the dream Naruto wore a set of forest green clothing. The boy's expression also reflected a difference; as he wore a smile…, but not the one Naruto usually wore to shield himself from the village. This one looked far more… peaceful. A duplicate of the Sandaime, this one dressed in his traditional robes, approached this new Naruto and placed a hand upon his shoulder. Iruka-sensei entered from the other direction, approaching the two. He ended up tousling Naruto's hair with a warm smile before he settled off to the side. Soon a number of other individuals approached the growing group. Naruto was unable to identify any of these other people, as their features were indistinct. Some were small enough to be children, while others were large enough that they had to be adults. With each new person, Naruto's smile shifted, becoming brighter and brighter.

As the group continued to grow, the Sandaime spoke once again, his eyes not leaving the scene before him, "The trials you have endured… they give me great hope for your future… that you will truly appreciate whatever happiness life will send your way."

XXXXX

Naruto awoke with a start; looking around the room and halfway expecting the Hokage to be sitting nearby. He found that the classroom was empty except for Sasuke and Sakura, who appeared to be waiting in silence for their sensei. As Naruto calmed down and began to review what he remembered of the strange dream, he found that he was at a loss as to its meaning. He couldn't come up with any rational explanation as to why he would have such a dream, as it was so unlike any other he had ever experienced. With a shake of his head, Naruto chalked it up to stress of the past couple of days and returned his attention to the reason for sitting in the classroom. Naruto glanced at the clock and estimated that he had been asleep for about an hour and a half. 'Not enough to make up for last night, but it should make it easier to get through the day.'

After another half hour of waiting, Naruto began to feel irritated. It was a very simple emotion with a very simple cause: his new sensei was late. Naruto latched on to this familiar emotion and began to review the supplies he had on hand. Naruto mentally cursed himself as he had left his entire supply of prank materials at home. Glancing around the room for ideas, Naruto gaze fell upon the ever-present chalkboard. A closer examination revealed the presence of the requisite eraser. Naruto rose to his feet and began his trek towards the chalkboard. 'When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.'

XXXXX

Another hour passed before a muted sigh was heard from right outside the door. The three genin focused their full attention on the passageway. A man pulled the door open and began to enter the room… only to have a very chalky eraser fall on his light gray hair.

"HAHAHAHAHA." Naruto burst into hysterical laughter, finding it comfortable to once again slip back into his role as the consummate prankster. While the rather juvenile trap was not his best work, sometimes you just can't beat the classics.

Sasuke frowned severely. 'How is someone who falls for such an obvious trap going to make me stronger?'

Sakura's reaction was mixed. Inner Sakura was cheering Naruto and screaming, 'YEAH! Perfect revenge!' while Sakura herself fought to maintain a neutral expression to demonstrate her maturity to Sasuke.

Having patted most of the chalk dust out of his hair, the man glanced towards the three genin. As the man stood to his full height and turned towards them, Naruto observed that their sensei appeared to be stranger than most. He appeared to be above average in height, with a lanky build. Shocks of gray hair appeared to stick up at angles that made his own blonde hair appear tame by comparison. A half-face mask and his hitai-ate, which he wore at an angle, obscured most of his face, which was far younger than the man's hair color indicated it would be. His one visible eye brushed over them with a level of boredom and disinterest that Naruto found slightly insulting. This insult solidified a couple of seconds later, when he spoke. "Based on my first impression, I have to say you three are... a bunch of idiots." Before they could refute his statement, Kakashi continued, "Meet me on the roof." He then disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving three incensed ninja in his wake.

XXXXX

Kakashi sat across from Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke on top of the academy roof moments later. After he examined the three genin once again, Kakashi addressed the reason for their meeting. "Alright. Let's start off with each of you introducing yourselves. Likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, hobbies, etc."

Sakura, curious about the odd man that was to be their sensei, intoned, "Could you give us an example, sensei?"

After a moment, the seemingly indifferent man shrugged his shoulders and continued, "Why not? My name is Hatake Kakashi. I am the type of person who doesn't feel like talking about my likes and dislikes. You three are too young to hear about my dreams for the future… I have lots of hobbies." The trio thought in tandem, 'All we learned… was his name.'

Kakashi continued, while gesturing towards Naruto, "Orange guy, you go first." After grumbling a little about being the 'orange guy' he started. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like cup ramen and ramen from Ichiraku's. I dislike the three minutes it takes to make ramen. My dream is to one day become Hokage and surpass all the previous Hokage." After a moment, Naruto continued in a much quieter voice, "I will become a shinobi that my parents would have been proud of." Naruto then fell silent with a sad smile on his face.

'Okay… ambitious ramen fanatic.' "You are next, Grumpy." Sasuke folded his arms and glared at Kakashi. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are few things that I like and many things that I dislike. I have no dreams… more of an AMBITION… to kill a certain man and restore my clan."

'I expected as much,' Kakashi thought with a sigh as he shifted his gaze to the last member of the group. "Alright, Pinky, your turn." Sakura, who was very close to assaulting her sensei, took a calming breath and started her introduction. "My name is Haruno Sakura. My favorite thing is not a thing... it's a boy… and that boy is…" She glanced over at Sasuke while blushing. After a rather awkward thirty second pause, Sakura continued, "Ano… I dislike blonde haired people intent on inferring with fate. My dream for the future is to..." Again she glanced towards Sasuke, with her blushing face half hidden behind her clasped hands. This time, the awkward silence only stretched on for about twenty seconds. "A-ano... that's all."

'Great. An idiot, a psychopath, and a lovesick fan girl.' Kakashi gave an inaudible sigh before continuing. "Well, that's all for today. Tomorrow we will meet to complete our first mission. This mission will only involve the members of our team. It is a survival test that will determine if you will become Genin." Naruto was on his feet in an instant, screaming, "We are Genin!!! We already passed that stupid test!!!"

Kakashi continued to address the three ninjas with the same indifferent, level tone. "Did I forget to mention that? That exam was to eliminate all the hopeless candidates. This test will determine if you have the ability to become true shinobi. Only nine students out of the 27 who graduated yesterday will actually become Genin. The rest will be sent back here for additional training." Both Sakura and Naruto were struck speechless, gaping at him with open mouths. Sasuke simply grunted at the news.

"Anyway, meet me at the training field at 5am tomorrow morning for survival training… and, unless you feel like throwing up, I would advise against eating breakfast." Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves. After a moment of silence, Naruto began, "Sakura-chan, do you want…"

"Shut up, Naruto," the pink-haired kunoichi snapped. She turned her attention back to Sasuke, as he began to rise from his position. "Sasuke-kun, would you like to go to get something to eat? Now that we are on a team together, we should get to know each other better." Sasuke responded coldly, not even pausing in his motions to depart, "No."

Never the one to give up so easily, Naruto tapped the kunoichi on her shoulder. "Sakura-chan, I wouldn't mind getting something to..."

Haruno Sakura had had enough. She rounded on Naruto and hissed, "Didn't I tell you to shut up?" She was certain that Sasuke-kun would have accepted her invitation if Naruto had not been so annoying. Sakura turned to engage Sasuke in conversation once again, but she found that he had already disappeared from sight. Sakura was seething. 'This is not how things were supposed to work out. We were supposed to enjoy a nice quiet meal and get to know each other now that Ino-pig is out of the way.' Sakura glanced over at the blonde shinobi that was the bane of her existence. 'While this was not the first time that Naruto has distracted me from talking with Sasuke-kun, it is going to be the last if I have anything to say about it.' Inner Sakura also voiced her agreement, 'Hell yeah! It's about time we put him in his place.'

Determined to make her feelings crystal clear to the loud-mouthed shinobi, Sakura refocused her glare on Naruto and began to speak once again. Her voice was as cold as ice and as sharp as a knife. "Listen, Naruto. You are the most irritating, grating person I have ever met. You are an idiot, the dead last of our class, and I can barely stand to look at you, let alone tolerate you incessant chatter. You are so annoying that even your own parents couldn't stand you! Why can't you just leave me alone? It's not like I want to be on the same team as you anyway."

Naruto felt like he had been kicked in the stomach and then been slammed over the head with a massive hammer. Just a couple of days ago, he may have been able to shrug off the comments and continue as if the conversation had never taken place. But Naruto's mental defenses were at an all time low, having just lost whatever comfort the weird dream had given him.

Ever since he had started at the academy, he had constantly tried to impress Sakura. He really couldn't remember what exactly had started this trend, but it had become one of the cornerstones of his existence. He had devoted his life to training day and night to achieve three goals: he wanted to defeat Sasuke-teme, to impress Sakura-chan and win her affection, and to become Hokage.

The blonde genin appeared to choke, words escaping him for one of the first times in his life. And then, just as fast as they had appeared, the visible signs of his pain receded. Naruto forced himself to smile. Sakura coolly observed that this was the same smile that he usually wore. If she was actually paying attention, she may have noticed that this particular smile appeared to be unusually brittle.

Naruto continued to smile as he gathered his thoughts. Only a second or two passed, but to him it seemed a lifetime. He was accustomed to this kind of treatment and rejection. The villagers openly scorned him, many sneering at him and cursing his very existence. Sakura had just joined the club… a very large club. This realization did not make the pain go away, if anything it made it that much more agonizing. "Sorry, Sakura... I will try not to bother you anymore."

XXXXX

A few minutes before 5am the following morning, the three genin arrived at the meeting place separately, barely acknowledging each other's existence. Naruto stumbled over to a nearby tree and collapsed at its base, asleep almost immediately. The other two looked on enviously, however they remained in their original positions, determined to be alert for the imminent arrival of their sensei.

Four hours later, when Naruto began to stir, their sensei still had yet to arrive. The three genin were highly irritated at this point, two more than the other as they were both sleep deprived and hungry. Kakashi did eventually show up… about five hours after the appointed time.

The goal of the test that Kakashi outlined was fairly simple: to obtain one of the bells attached to his belt before noon. The catch was that there were only two bells and three graduates. The one that doesn't get a bell will go hungry, since he or she will be tied to a log while the other two genin enjoy one of the meals that Kakashi had provided. The one without a bell in the end would also fail the test and be sent back to the academy for remedial training.

XXXXX

The day so far had been one embarrassment after another for Naruto. First, Kakashi easily fended off his attacks, even going so far as to read that stupid orange book while fighting him. Kakashi's use of 'Konoha's Supreme Taijutsu Technique: One Thousand Years of Pain,' which amounted to nothing more than a glorified ass poke, had just added insult to injury. His attempt at a counter attack was brushed aside when Kakashi-sensei managed to turn his Kage Bunshins on each other. The final straw had been him falling for a simple trap, only to be left hanging helplessly from a rope on a tree.

Presently, Naruto was sitting quietly as Kakashi neatly summarized all his failings. While he did compliment his use of Kage Bunshin and having distracted him, most of his summary was far from complimentary. Kakashi's focus shifted to Sakura and Naruto began to listen more attentively, as he did not know how the other two ninjas had faired. As Sakura was currently tied to the training post, he did not think that things had gone too well for her. 'Although, I am not sure how it could have been any worse than my own performance.'

Kakashi continued his evaluation of his team with an indifferent air. "Sakura gave the most disappointing performance of the three of you, which is why she is tied to the post. With her standing as the top academic student, I had hoped that she would evaluate the test and see its true purpose. That was not the case. Sakura made an intelligent decision to hide in the forest at the beginning of the exercise, enabling her to evaluate her opponent. But when I confronted her, I was able to subdue her with a simple genjutsu… one that you all practiced against at the academy and that a simple 'Kai' would have disabled. Instead of calmly utilizing the lessons taught in the academy, she simply fainted." Kakashi paused in his review to allow this fact to fully sink in. It may have been a little cruel, but the idea of a ninja fainting during a mission didn't sit well with him. But tearing into an academy student didn't sit well with him either, so he simply let the silence do the work for him.

"After she recovered, she went in search of her teammates. Actually, she just went in search of Sasuke, abandoning Naruto, who was in plain sight, instead of assisting him. When she actually found Sasuke, she was unable to assist him in escaping his predicament... as she fainted again." Kakashi paused in his evaluation once again to observe Sakura for a moment before continuing. "If I had not reviewed her file before the test, I would think that this was the result of a serious medical condition. But it is simply the lack of mental fortitude. Her decision to abandon a teammate in distress also speaks very poorly of her morals." While Naruto would traditionally jump to Sakura's defense in this type of situation, her words from the day before still rang fresh in his mind and he remained silent. He observed how she first bowed her head in shame at her performance, but soon thereafter focused her attention on Sasuke, biting her bottom lip as she attempted to gauge his reaction. While she was doing this, she appeared to have missed the entire second half of her evaluation.

Kakashi's focus finally shifted to Sasuke. In the same indifferent tone, he continued, "While Sasuke came the closest to obtaining a bell; he also gave a disappointing performance. Sasuke showed forethought and cunning by luring me into an area he had prepared with traps. But he also demonstrated the height of arrogance by thinking that he could easily defeat me where his two teammates had failed miserably. Despite his use of decent taijutsu and a chuunin level Katon jutsu, Sasuke also ended up soundly defeated. Perhaps it was the lack of subtly that stands out the most. Having had the greatest opportunity to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses, he still approached the fight as a straight out brawl, only remembering the bells as an after thought. In order to defeat a superior opponent, you must play to your strengths and attempt to remove your opponent's. I think that his primary error was failing to acknowledge that I was, in fact, a superior opponent, despite all evidence supporting this fact. Having an overly inflated opinion of one's abilities is one of the surest ways to end up dead in this business."

Kakashi took a moment to explain to the group that they would not have to worry about being sent back to the academy for more training. He continued by explaining that more training would be a waste of time and that they should give up their careers as ninja as they appeared to be utterly hopeless. He explained that if they failed to grasp a concept as simple as teamwork, they have little hope of surviving their first real mission. He concluded by stating that he was willing to give them another chance to redeem themselves after their lunch. He qualified this statement by saying that if anyone gave Sakura any food; they would fail immediately, as she had not earned it. Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves shortly thereafter.

Their sensei had given them another chance, but Naruto did not feel that they had accomplished anything. The likelihood of the three of them working together effectively was pretty much nil. Sasuke and Naruto glanced at each other and sullenly began to eat the prepared meals. The silence stretched on for a minute or two before Sakura's stomach interrupted their meal, grumbling loudly. The girl seemed to shrink into herself; embarrassed due to the attention she was receiving from Sasuke.

Seeing the girl's distress, Naruto decided to offer Sakura some food. Whether they passed or failed, at least he would not be responsible for her passing out from hunger. After a few moments, Sasuke also offered her some food, which she accepted. After she had eaten a couple of bites, the noontime sky darkened noticeably as storm clouds gathered overhead. The three genin looked up to see Kakashi thundering towards them, apparently enraged beyond all reason. But instead of exploding in a fit of rage, he congratulated them on passing.

Kakashi cut Sakura's bindings and turned his attention to a stone located on the training grounds. He gestured for Team Seven to follow him and walked closer to the stone. "This stone is a memorial to those ninja that have been recognized as heroes of the village. All the names you see here are equal, from the lowest genin to the greatest Hokage." Naruto stiffened at what could have been a reference to his father. Kakashi continued his explanation without pausing. "But these are not just any heroes; these are ones that sacrificed their lives in the service of the village. My best friend's name is on this stone."

A moment of silence fell upon the group as they each contemplated their own mortality. After a little more than a minute, Kakashi continued, "Before he died, my friend taught me a valuable lesson, one that I continue to live by and one that I hope to pass down to the three of you. 'Those who break the rules of the ninja world are trash…, but those that don't care of their comrades are worst than trash.' That is the reason that you passed. I would like to officially congratulate you on being the first team to have ever passed my test. Based on your performance, I can happily say that you guys are ready to begin your genin careers."

"We will meet here at 8am in two days for our first official mission. Naruto, please stay behind for a minute." Naruto was unobtrusively looking over the names engraved on the stone as Kakashi waited for Sasuke and Sakura to leave. The other two ninja departed, Sakura quickly running after Sasuke, most likely to inquire about a possible date.

Naruto turned towards his sensei, who was leaning against one of the posts surrounding the monument, reading that orange book. "What do you want, Kakashi-sensei?" Their sensei had just passed them, but Naruto was still brooding over his performance. The presence of the book was not doing anything to alleviate his bad mood.

"Naruto, while your clothing may have been acceptable for the academy, now that you are shinobi, you need to put more thought towards stealth and utility. I would prefer that I am not killed on our first mission outside of the village because my student manages to attract the attention of every enemy ninja within a fifty mile radius by wearing clothing so bright that they probably glow in the dark." Despite the statement's obvious sarcasm, Kakashi's tone demonstrated the same level of indifference that he had shown the day before. Naruto twitched as he observed that his sensei's gaze had never left the book in front of him while he was speaking.

Not having the energy or the mindset to defend the color orange like he normally would, Naruto mumbles a response. Kakashi sighs and asks Naruto to repeat himself.

Naruto, now glaring at his new sensei, yells, "This is the only half decent thing the store would sell me and even it was grossly overpriced!!!" As he finished his statement, Naruto crossed his arms as if daring to the jounin to laugh at him. Sympathetic, but slightly frustrated that Naruto didn't see the solution, the jounin closed his book and responded, "If that is the only thing they will sell you, then don't be you." With this cryptic piece of advice, Kakashi teleported away in a swirl of leaves.

A/N

Story Statistics as of 06/21/2007

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	4. Chapter 4

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 04: The Decision

Naruto spent the afternoon following Kakashi's bell test at one of his favorite spots in the village. The Hokage Monument provided a commanding view of the village, one that even surpassed the view from atop Hokage Tower. From the top, a person could see every part of the village: the multi-story buildings of the commercial district, the patchwork of lawns and houses that composed the residential area, and the sprawling estates of the clan district. In the distance, you could even see the towering city wall that encompassed the city. The monument was the centerpiece of the village, with the city seeming to radiate out from its base. After climbing the rocky outcropping, Naruto settled himself on the top of the Yondaime's head. The location he assumed was one born more out of habit than anything else. Naruto's thoughts were far too erratic to be concerned with his current location or the view.

'Life seems to have become much more complicated since the genin examination.' Naruto realized that he had not been acting normally the past couple of days and that he needed to resolve some issues before he spoke with the Hokage. The revelations about his origins and the events surrounding the Kyuubi's attack had turned his world upside down. With a deep breath, Naruto vowed to stay on the monument until he thought through all the issues that seemed to be hanging over his head.

First, the Kyuubi… The most powerful of the tailed demons was sealed inside of him. Naruto's hand unconsciously went to the seal that sometimes appeared on his stomach. 'It is the reason that the villagers despise me… The reason that they ignore and belittle me… The reason that I can't buy food in most of the stores… The reason I don't have any friends.' A number of unpleasant memories surfaced in Naruto's mind. Some were hazy due to the passage of time. He vaguely recalled having been thrown out of the orphanage at the age of four. He remembered having been badly beaten a couple of times when he was younger, only to have been saved from life threatening injury by old man Hokage or the ANBU. But some were indelibly etched in his mind. He began to review these memories before he managed to snap himself out of it. 'So my life sucks. No one cares. And crying about it is not going to change anything. The Kyuubi is sealed and there is not a damn thing I can do about it. At least now I know why I have been treated like crap my whole life.' With a shake of his head, he accepted the Kyuubi's presence as unalterable and moved on to the next issue.

The Yondaime… His father… The person that had sealed the Kyuubi into him. The person that had hidden his identity from everyone. It was a difficult scenario to accept.

As Naruto reflected on his father's deception, he felt a wave of anger wash over him. His father was the reason that he had grown up alone. Even after the Kyuubi was sealed, Naruto was sure that someone would have adopted him had they known about his family. There would have been someone to make sure he had enough to eat… someone to meet him after school… someone to care. His most painful memories and most of his problems all would have been avoided if he had a family… if he had been loved. Naruto suddenly looked down when he heard something 'spat' against stone surface of the monument. After a brief glance at the bright red substance accumulating on the ground, Naruto's gaze shifted towards his hands. They were tightly clinched and shaking slightly from suppressed emotion. Blood was flowing freely from between his fingers and slowly dripping onto the ground. He slowly released his fists and found that his fingernails had sliced into his palms without him even noticing. He watched in fascination as the cuts on his palms healed themselves before his eyes. After about ten seconds, there was nothing left except the blood that had leaked out of the wounds.

Naruto shook his head and mentally chastised himself for getting off track. 'I am already determined that my life sucks. I need to stop whining about it… it won't help anything.' This visible reminder of his bloodline seemed to refocus his thoughts on the reasons for his father's deception. The letter had said that many of the people who would have adopted him might have wanted to control him. They may not have even cared about him, just wanting the prestige of raising the Yondaime's son. While someone may have adopted him, that doesn't mean they would have been nice. They could have treated him like the people at the orphanage. Or he could of ended up being raised to be like Sasuke. Naruto shivered as his mind flashed with an image of himself scowling, brooding, and generally acting like an emo-teme. After a couple moments of thought, Naruto accepted that his father might have had his reasons for hiding his identity. He decided that he would reread the letter in a couple of days to let things settle down before trying to make sense of them.

Naruto's thoughts quickly turned to the sealing itself. Strangely enough, this was much easier to accept than his father's other actions. He had always admired the Yondaime for his sacrifice. He had stood up to the ultimate challenge and sacrificed his life to help others. It was an admirable death: selfless and heroic.

Naruto now realized that the Yondaime's victory had not been as clean cut or as certain as described in the history books. While it had never been a storybook victory, there had been a certain balance in that he had sacrificed his life to defeat the demon. Now the incident appeared to be skewed. The stoic hero wasn't marching off to defeat the demon. There was simply a man, having lost his wife and his family, grasping at a desperate solution. It was odd that Naruto could not hold the Yondaime's actions with regard to the sealing against him. It might have been a different story if his father had not sacrificed himself in the process. While Naruto's life had not been exactly pleasant, at least he was around to enjoy it. It also gave him a bit of comfort for having played a role, however unwilling, in defeating the Kyuubi and saving the village. Whatever else may have changed, no one could argue that his father had been anything less than a heroic ninja, sacrificing himself so that others may live on.

Naruto's mental ramblings shifted to the fact that he was now a ninja as well. It was now his job to help protect the village in times of crisis. Just a few days ago, he had been obsessed about gaining the respect and attention that he thought would come with the position. Now being a ninja seemed to carry much more weight than when he had been at the academy. Besides Kakashi-sensei's speech about the memorial, what Naruto had learned in the past couple of days showed that even the strongest ninja could be made helpless by events. And life as a ninja is not all about saving the day and getting the girl. Iruka made that plain enough on the night he became genin.

XXXXX

Iruka shook his head as he listened to Naruto ramble on about saving princesses and gaining the respect he deserved. 'Enough is enough. Naruto needs to understand that being a ninja is not a fairytale. If he doesn't realize it soon, he will receive a far more painful lesson sometime in the future.' Iruka turned towards Naruto to find him staring reverently at his hitai-ate, which was sitting next to his bowl of ramen. "Is that what you think being a ninja is all about?"

At Naruto's stunned silence, Iruka messaged his temples and prepared to continue. 'This is going to be unpleasant, but it is something he should know.'

"Naruto, not all missions are clear cut, with the heroic ninja saving the damsel in distress. Some are boring and seemingly pointless. Others are distasteful and will come into conflict with your morality. For instance, could you torture an injured enemy? They are helpless and no longer a threat to you physically, but they may possess valuable information about enemy positions or plans. Could you inflict pain on a helpless person? That was just one example, but there are countless others."

With a heavy sigh, Iruka continued, "Naruto, it is possible that you could be ordered to kill a person. Death is an unavoidable part of being a ninja. Killing a criminal or an enemy ninja is one thing, but it is possible that you could be asked to kill a person in cold blood. It could be a political figure plotting against the village or a simple civilian that is assisting the enemy. Could you perform such a mission without hesitation?" He asked, surprising Naruto with the dark turn in the conversation.

Iruka continued without waiting for a response, "My point is that the life of a ninja is a life of service. You are bound to serve the village, specifically the Hokage in all things, whether you want to or not. To refuse an order or a mission from the Hokage could be considered treasonous. You would be brought before the Jounin Council for judgment and sentence. If it is in time of war, you could be summarily executed. You do know the majority of the village is either indifferent towards you or hates you outright?" Naruto nodded numbly as he stared into his bowl of ramen.

"I know that your childhood has not been particularly enjoyable or easy, but it is time that you leave the last vestiges of youth behind. Your hobby of pranking the village had been observed and documented far more closely than you can possibly imagine. The Hokage was able to dismiss most of your antics as the actions of a child. But now that you are older and have graduated from the academy, you are going to need to act more maturely. You can't act so carefree and idealistic anymore." Iruka glanced at Naruto to gauge his reaction. Naruto's shoulders were slumped as he continued to listen in silence.

"Whether you like it or not, there are certain elements inside of the village, both ninja and civilian, that would give almost anything to see you exiled or executed. While we both know that you are more than the… burden you carry, many other people are narrow-minded idiots. You cannot give them any more cause for complaint. You need to take your job seriously and stop daydreaming about rescuing a princess."

XXXXX

Naruto's reflections brought to mind another part of the speech that Iruka-sensei had given him the night he became a genin. While he talked a lot about responsibility and patience, Iruka had recited a quote that had stuck with him. 'When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.' The point of his speech had been that it was time that he stopped slacking off by pranking the village and began to apply himself to his training. The scarred chuunin was concerned that Naruto wasn't prepared for the reality of being a ninja. And after the bell test, he couldn't help but agree. He needed to get stronger.

Once again, Naruto felt his anger stirring. 'It is my fault. Ever since I started at the academy, I've wasted too much time doing things that aren't important. I've spent too many hours planning pranks, chasing Sakura, or just sitting around goofing off. Even these last two years with Iruka-sensei practically begging me to work harder, I still slacked off and worried more about having fun than studying to be a ninja.' Naruto's eyes focused on the cityscape below as he continued his internal monologue. 'I've known for years that almost everyone in the village hated my guts… that no one was going to give me anything. And instead of relying on myself and actually working towards my goals, I decided to do nothing. If I had applied myself like I should have, then maybe I wouldn't be a joke… the dead last… the dobe.'

Naruto ground his teeth in frustration as he caught himself ranting once again. 'I can't change the past, but I can change the future. I'll become the most powerful ninja I can… I won't slack off anymore. Then at least I can look at myself in the mirror… knowing that whatever happens that I tried my best.'

"No more excuses," Naruto said with steely resolve.

As Naruto began to focus on how to improve his training, Naruto's thoughts returned to his bloodline. It was oddly comforting to know that at least some of the problems he had with Bunshin no Jutsu and the other academy techniques were not totally his fault. But if he was going to overcome these problems, then he was going to have to train, and train hard. He could not waste his time with the same petty problems that had consumed his years at the academy. He could not worry about Sasuke-teme and his emo habits. He couldn't afford to goof off and play pranks. And he couldn't afford to pine for Sakura.

'Sakura… Sakura turned out to be as heartless as everyone else… It hurts. It hurts a lot. It is clear that my crush on Sakura is something that I should 'put away'. Maybe what happened proves that it wasn't meant to be.' It was a disheartening thought, but one that Naruto was in no position to refute.

As the sun began to set, Naruto reflected on what he wanted to accomplish tomorrow. He needed to talk with the Hokage, but Naruto also wanted to replace the orange jumpsuit that he currently wore. With so much having changed in the last few days, it struck him as fitting to replace the clothes that he had worn at the academy. Kakashi's advice, however vague, gave Naruto an idea as to how he could go shopping without being thrown out of the stores. He just had to disguise himself.

Oiroke no jutsu essentially amounted to an advanced henge. Why he could utilize his 'perverted' technique without fail, but had difficulties with a simple Henge no jutsu was beyond him. Of course, his sole original technique would have to be modified for its new purpose. For one, clothing would be required, as he did not think that a cloud-covered girl would be able to do anything unobtrusively. Two, he would need to remove his trademark whisker markings from her face if he was to have a chance of fooling anyone. He would also need to think up a descent cover story as to why a female civilian was buying ninja clothing for a guy. Standing up from his perch, Naruto decided to quickly grab some ramen and then go home and get to work. After he arrived at his apartment, Naruto spent nearly six hours revising his technique, only going to bed when he was satisfied with the results.

XXXXX

The next morning, Naruto was prepared to set out to fulfill his mission. His technique was in place and he felt confident that he could hold it indefinitely. As he looked in the mirror, Naruto couldn't help but be pleased with his disguise. He barely recognized himself, even when he compared how he looked to the original Oiroke no jutsu. Naruto had decided that the two pigtails that the girl normally wore were too memorable and settled for allowing the girl's hair to hang loose. He had worked on his facial expressions and other mannerisms to be far less expressive as he wanted to remain unnoticed. Oddly, the girl appeared to be much more attractive without all the cooing and winking that usually accompanied the technique.

But the most obvious difference was the clothes that his creation now wore. As he had little interest in walking around in a skirt all day like most of the female members of his academy class, Naruto had decided to emulate the clothes of one of the older female genin he had seen the previous day. Dressed in a simple pair of black pants and a short-sleeved silk shirt, Naruto took a deep breath and set out to complete his shopping expedition.

XXXXX

Once he arrived at his destination, Naruto found himself hesitating outside the entrance to the village's largest ninja clothing store. Even though he was as prepared as he could be, he knew that this was not going to be easy. The city's merchants seemed to exist solely to make his life miserable. He remembered countless instances from his childhood where the reception had been less than warm. As soon as he would set foot in a store, the shopkeepers would descend upon him like jackals, harassing and insulting him until he left. Even those stores that allowed him to shop would often only let him in at odd hours and would charge him far more than other customers. The merchants would even take it upon themselves to give advice to new shops that opened in the city, telling the new comers of alleged impairments he had caused their own businesses. Naruto's patronage became synonymous with financial ruin, as far as most stores were concerned.

The only commercial establishment in the city that welcomed him with open arms was the Ichiraku's Ramen, the village's finest ramen shop. The proprietor and his daughter had always greeted him with a smile whenever he went there. And when another customer would complain about Naruto's presence, the ramen chef would calmly ask that customer to leave if they could not be civil to other customers. With a deep sigh, Naruto returned to the present and entered the store.

XXXXX

Yamanaka Ino emerged from the back of the clothing store, having replenished her supply of wrappings that had become a staple of her wardrobe in recent years. As she approached the counter, she overheard a blonde girl a few years older than herself talking to one of the clerks about having to buy ninja clothing. The girl seemed unusually nervous and the clerk seemed to be getting irritated. Ino had always had a soft spot for helping others, so she decided to see if she could help out. Walking closer, Ino couldn't help but think that the girl looked familiar, but she shook it off. 'I'm probably just relating to her as another girl with a similar hair color. After all, blonde hair is not all that common in Konoha and we have to stick together.'

As she approached, Ino observed that the girl's eyes widened in surprise when she noticed her. Despite this odd reaction, Ino continued with her greeting. "Hi. I couldn't help but overhear that you are looking to purchase some ninja clothing. I am a ninja, so I should be able to help you find something that will work. My name is Ino, by the way."

Naruto was momentarily taken aback by the appearance of his now former classmate, but recovered quickly. "My name is Hikari. My brother's birthday is coming up and I wanted to buy him some new clothes. He will soon be starting his third year at the academy and I thought it would be nice if he could start dressing like a ninja. Neither my parents nor I are ninja, so I am kind of at a loss on what to buy." This last sentence was accompanied by a rather helpless gesture around the large store.

Ino responded, smiling warmly at the fidgeting girl, "That sounds like it would be a nice present. What size is he and what does he look like?" After a brief description, Ino had a pretty good idea of what to suggest. The young kunoichi led 'Hikari' to the appropriate section and began to look around. Ino wasn't very familiar with the classes behind her, so she couldn't remember if she had ever run across Hikari's brother.

Naruto was surprised that Ino was being so helpful and patient. His limited experience with the girl had always been… troublesome. As Ino continued to pick up clothes, Naruto could almost hear Gama-chan, his faithful overstuffed wallet, whimper at what the blonde kunoichi would recommend. Naruto had been planning to purchase standard black clothing, but Ino suggested that 'she' choose from a couple of darker colors, ranging from forest green to navy blue. Naruto quickly decided on forest green, selecting several pants and a couple of jackets for the primary items. Several shirts and a pair of black ninja sandals completed the purchases. 'Hikari' thanked Ino for her help as she was leaving the store. Naruto quickly returned home to try on his new purchases.

XXXXX

Groaning, the Sandaime leaned back in his chair and tried to find a more comfortable position. 'Why do I have to do this job? I had served my time and retired nearly twenty years ago. I am supposed to sitting quietly at home, spoiling my grandkids.' Sarutobi rotated his chair to look upon the pictures of the previous Hokages. His gaze settled on the picture on the right. 'This was supposed to be his job.' This thought immediately brought about a wave of guilt. It was the Yondaime's sacrifice that lay at the root of the Sandaime's reluctance to name a successor. Once he had witnessed the villagers' anger in the wake of the Kyuubi's attack and the council's willingness to go along with public opinion, Sarutobi had promised himself that he would do what needed to be done to ensure that the Yondaime's legacy would be safe from their machinations. In his mind, the goal had been to protect Naruto until he began his career as a ninja. Only then could he look towards selecting his successor and resuming his retirement. Sarutobi sighed as he realized that he had been only days away from beginning the selection process.

But the Yondaime's letter had changed his plans. The Kazama Clan had given so much to the Konoha that Sarutobi felt honor bound to see to the restoration of its heir. But he was just so tired. He took a deep breath and returned his gaze to the portraits. Whenever he felt that he was ready to crumble under the pressure, these walks down memory lane often served to strengthen his resolve. After a few more minutes of quiet contemplation, the Sandaime turned back towards his desk and picked up his cup of green tea. After a sip of the warm, calming liquid, the Sandaime returned his attention to the various mission reports scattered across his desk.

XXXXX

Naruto examined himself in the mirror and almost didn't recognize the person staring back at him. The complete disappearance of orange from his clothing had a dramatic effect on his appearance. His orange clothing and his act of irrepressible cheerfulness had the effect of projecting an aura of boundless energy and impatience. Now he looked far more serious, his stance and expression seemed to project feelings of confidence and determination. 'The way a ninja should look.' A small smile appeared on his face as he continued his review. He only needed to do one thing to complete his transformation. Naruto reached down and removed all the kunai and shuriken that he had in his weapon pouches. As the stores had turned him away, he had been forced to scavenge most of them from the training fields and target ranges that surrounded the city. He briefly observed their condition: the weapons' surfaces with pitted with age and rust and their cutting edges were notched and ragged. They were still in working order, but just barely. Their poor condition reflected Naruto's lack of the knowledge and abilities to maintain them beyond rudimentary sharpening.

Naruto set the weapons aside and walked purposefully towards his closet, intent on recovering some of his most prized possessions. In the back of the closet, Naruto found a medium sized package, apparently undisturbed from the last time he had looked at it. Naruto removed and unwrapped the bundle, revealing its contents. A selection of kunai and shuriken revealed themselves to his inspection. The weapons themselves were ANBU standard, weapons of superior quality, even compared to the ones used by most shinobi. High-density carbon steel provided the weapons with greater durability. The weapons' matte black finish prevented them from reflecting light and giving away his location. The weapons had sat in the back of his closest for some time, just waiting for the day that he became a real ninja.

Smirking at his memory of the events that led up to him receiving these weapons, Naruto slowly began to remove some of them from the bundle and placed them in his weapon pouches. Oddly enough, Naruto had received the bundle as a reward for successfully performing a prank. Once he had completed his task, he returned to the mirror and stared at his image once again. A gleam from his hitai-ate caught his eye and he thought, 'Now its complete.'

XXXXX

Later that day, the Hokage glanced out of his window. His senses had picked up a familiar chakra signature approaching his office about twenty seconds ago. This was, of course, because the owner of the chakra signature was doing little to mask it. Had this been two weeks ago, the Hokage was sure that he would have had a bit more difficulty sensing this particular individual. Whatever his short fallings, Naruto's hobby of pulling pranks had caused him to become very good at stealth. He would have to be, as Naruto seemed to prefer high profile and well defended targets. The Hokage chuckled to himself as he remembered one of the more daring pranks that Naruto had pulled over the past couple of years. The victims of the prank had been his ANBU corps.

XXXXX

The event in question was triggered by two ANBU members pulling Naruto away from his nightly worship at the temple of ramen that was Ichiraku's to question him about a prank. Apparently, someone had decided to toilet paper the academy, so naturally it had to have been Naruto's fault. Why two ANBU members had taken it upon themselves to get involved in such a petty matter was never made clear. Upset that he had been unable to complete his meal and that the ANBU would confuse his masterpieces with such an amateurish stunt, Naruto began to plot his revenge. In order to repay the favor, Naruto decided to infiltrate ANBU headquarters and engage in a little creative redecorating.

When the ANBU had arrived at their headquarters a few days after the incident, they found an interesting sight. The locker room, previously a soothing combination of green and light brown, had been painted a hideously bright shade of orange. The smooth hardwood floors had been coated with a gummy substance the made a horrible squelching sound with every step. For an organization that prided itself on stealth, this seemed to be a grievous affront to the gathered ninjas' sensibilities. The final alteration was not to the room itself, but to the spare masks that had been present in the locker room… the very masks that separated the ANBU elite from other ninjas in the village. The animal likenesses that struck fear into their opponents by removing the visage of humanity from the elite ninjas had been replaced by all too human expressions. The masks of the male members had been redone with saucer-sized eyes, a heavy blush across their cheeks, and a slight trial of blood escaping their nose. The female ANBU found that their masks tended to feature narrowed eyes, either an exaggerated frown or teeth gritted in anger, and marks indicating throbbing veins on their foreheads. The scene was completed with the words "Now this is a prank!!!" written on one of the main walls.

The silence that had descended upon the ANBU present was broken when one of the more junior ANBU members decided to share his thoughts. "Damn demon brat. We should have just killed him when we had the chance." There was a whisper of movement and pained scream as the speaker found himself on the floor a half second later, his jaw having been shattered into innumerable pieces by the person standing above him. The figure stood immobile over him, glaring for a second, before turning his attention towards the crowd.

"It appears that I have another matter to address before we discuss the condition of headquarters." His voice was even and calm, carrying with it an almost hypnotic quality that demanded attention. The gathered ANBU had ceased their observation of the room and focused their attention on the speaker.

"Although I have only recently been promoted to Commander of the ANBU, I have worked with many of you for a number of years. For those of you that know me as well as for those of you that don't, I would like to one thing perfectly clear. The Uzumaki boy is not a demon. I had the honor of fighting beside the Forth when he gave his life to subdue the Kyuubi. I witnessed first hand the destruction and devastation that the demon reaped and I can assure you that this prank does not bear any resemblance to the actions of that monster. Uzumaki Naruto is simply an unfortunate child with too much time and energy on his hands. I will not allow anyone under my command to disgrace the memory of the Forth or to ignore the wishes of the Third by insulting, harassing, or otherwise belittling Uzumaki Naruto. And if I find that a member of this organization decides to harass the boy or to look the other way when the boy is in danger… they will not like the consequences. Have I made myself clear?" A chorus of "Hai" was heard from the crowd.

Apparently satisfied with the group's response and ignoring the ninja moaning on the floor, the ANBU commander continued, "Now, many of you are looking around the room and dismissing this mess as a harmless prank. A number of you may have even been planning to obtain some degree of revenge against the perpetrator. Well, I am sorry to say that you are all a bunch of idiots. While you see this as a mere prank, I and, doubtlessly, other senior ANBU members, see this as a valuable lesson. Would anyone care to explain this lesson to me?" He paused for dramatic effect. Not one the assembled ninja appeared willing to call attention to themselves by sharing their thoughts.

"The fact of the matter is this… The headquarters of the ANBU…, Konoha's corps of supposedly elite ninja…, was infiltrated by an ACADEMY STUDENT!!! This is a case study in failed security if I have ever heard of one!!!"

After taking a deep breath and calming himself slightly, the man continued, "Now, all of you are going to clean up this mess, and I do mean that you will do it personally. While you are cleaning, I want you to think about a series of questions. How many comrades would we have lost if an enemy village had been able to infiltrate headquarters and place a subtle poison into the water that we drink or the very air that we breathe? How much more difficult would be to clean headquarters up if your comrades had been splattered across the walls by the detonation of hundreds of time delayed explosive notes?" Glancing around the room to ensure that his point had been made, the figure turned and stalked out of the room.

Later that evening, Naruto, the Hokage, and the ANBU commander were seen partaking of dinner at Ichiraku's Ramen as they discussed the security of ANBU headquarters. The evening ended with the commander asking Naruto to try infiltrating the headquarters again in the next couple of months. After assuring him that he wouldn't get in trouble, the ANBU commander promised to reward Naruto if he was successful.

XXXXX

It had been moments like that dinner that gave Sarutobi hope for the future. All it took was for an individual to give Naruto a chance and he would eventually win them over. It had been the same with Iruka, as well as a few others. Despite this progress, Sarutobi knew that there were still countless others in the village that hated Naruto for simply being alive.

As Naruto arrived at the office's window a moment later, the Hokage noticed that his clothing was far less conspicuous and of much higher quality than it had been previously. 'Perhaps his father's letter had a greater impact than I had anticipated.'

"It is good to see you Naruto. I wish to offer you my congratulations on passing Kakashi's bell test. You are the first team to achieve that particular milestone. I trust that you are doing well otherwise?"

Naruto smiled at the old man, scratching the back of his head. "Better today than yesterday. I just needed sometime to sort things out. I am sorry that I wasn't paying attention the last time I was here."

The elderly Hokage waved off his concerns. "That is quite alright. It was a lot to take in at once and most would have been overwhelmed by the events of that particular day. I am pleased to see that you are handling things so well. We have a couple of things to discuss, so if you would please make yourself comfortable. Would you like anything to drink?"

With a shake of his head, Naruto seated himself in one of the chairs in front of the Hokage's desk. As he glanced around the office, it occurred to him that this was his first time sitting in this chair that wasn't related to a prank or some other mischief. Naruto smiled slightly at the thought.

"I am sure that you have thought a great deal about your father and the letter he left you over the past couple of days. While it did contain a great deal of information, I would imagine that you spent most of your time thinking about what life would have been like if everyone knew who your parents were. I know that is difficult to take, I believe that your father only acted in your best interests when he hid your identity." The Sandaime held up his hand to forestall Naruto's outburst.

"While there is no way of knowing what would have happened, many of the things your father said in his letter were true, both with regard to your safety and your guardian situation. Your family acquired a great many enemies over the years. Many of them celebrated upon hearing that the Kazamas were no more. Iwa even declared a national day of celebration when it was announced. With that type of hatred, the village would have thought nothing of killing you to end your father's line. It would have been a gamble for Iwa to undertake such actions, but few would have been willing to go to war over a single individual."

"Inside of Konoha, the politics that would have surrounded your adoption would have been intense. As Kazama Naruto, you possess and represent a number of highly valuable positions. Politically, you are the sole heir of a senior clan of Konoha and the son of the Yondaime. Financially, you stand to inherit the Kazama Trust, which will allow you to exert a great deal of influence over Konoha's commercial environment. And militarily, you are the sole survivor of a bloodline that has assisted Konoha since it's founding. Even the influence I could exert as the Hokage would probably have failed to quell the arguments that would have erupted."

"If you announced your lineage tomorrow, the council would still probably try to appoint you a guardian to ensure you are being 'raised appropriately'. It is needless to say that the council would not make such a move out of concern for you, but to influence decisions regarding your future. Even with so little time before you become an adult, a self-interested guardian would be able to perform several misdeeds that could have a negative impact on you. At this age, I wouldn't be surprised if their first move was to enter you into an engagement to be fulfilled in a couple of years. For these reasons, I think it would be best if we followed your father's advice and held off on announcing your lineage until after you reach the rank of chuunin."

Naruto could only nod his assent as his mind tried to grasp possibly of having someone else controlling his life. The idea of him having to ask permission for anything, let alone being engaged to someone, seemed beyond the realm of possibility.

With that matter closed, Sarutobi moved to a matter of personal curiosity. "Naruto, I am curious if the recent revelations about your past and the Kyuubi have altered your desire to become Hokage?"

"No." It was a simple answer, perhaps far too simple for such a question, but Naruto's tone and expression told the Hokage all that he needed to know. Sarutobi studied the young ninja sitting before him for a couple of moments before he continued. "I am actually quite glad to hear that, as it is a worthy goal to strive for. The position of Hokage is an honor bestowed upon few shinobi. It is a privilege to be entrusted with the well being of the village. The position means that citizens of the city have acknowledged you as being worthy of their trust and respect. You become the calm voice of reason when they are troubled. You become the sturdy bulwark they will seek in times of crisis."

"But the position is also a terrible burden. There is a great deal of stress, constantly worrying about whether you have assigned adequate or appropriate ninja to a specific mission or missed subtle clues that may result in a conflict with another village. There may also come a time where you are called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice for your village, defending its citizens with your very life. It is a sad truth that none of the previous Hokage have passed away peacefully."

"The sealing of the Kyuubi is probably the most difficult decision that a Hokage has ever faced. Your father realized that he would have to give his life to ensure the village's safety. While this is a decision that numerous ninja have faced over the years, he was also faced with the unenviable task of deciding the future of a newborn child. As your father and the Hokage, he was the sole person responsible for the decision he made. I have thought about what he must of gone through during the hours before the sealing and I am unable to imagine… With your mother having passed away and you unable to grant your consent… I am not sure that I could have made the same decision."

"The only parallel I can draw personally is sending genin out on dangerous missions. Whether it is a time of war or of peace makes very little difference, as the possibility of death is always present. With chuunin and jounin, you know they have a firm understanding of the dangers involved with any mission. But genin often have delusions of invincibility or immortality… and often fail to realize that a moment of inattention or a bad decision can have disastrous consequences. It is devastating to have a team return from a mission missing a teammate. The friends and family of the fallen genin are often inconsolable. The survivors can take years to recover from such a loss… Some never do."

The Hokage's gaze shifted to the window as he absently puffed on his pipe. "It has always been troubling to me that we call upon children to take on dangerous tasks so early in life. While the standard age of graduation for ninja used to be twelve, there were some that entered our profession at a far earlier age. After the Uchiha Massacre, I came to the conclusion that it was unwise to force adult responsibilities on children. I decided to curtail the option to graduate early and raised the age requirement to fourteen. My hope was that a longer and more stable childhood would help Konoha ninja cope better with the stresses associated with our lifestyle. Since this shift in policy, the number of genin that have died or suffered permanent injury during their first year has been cut in half. But it will probably take several more years before we observe if these ninja are more stable than previous generations. A childhood is a wonderful thing, Naruto, and the longer that a young person is free of and unburdened by the troubles of the adulthood, so much the better. I'm sorry that you and Uchiha Sasuke did not have this luxury."

"The reason for my sympathy is that our memories, especially those filled with laughter and happiness, can be a powerful defense against malevolent thoughts and actions. Children who have been denied these memories tend to be at a higher risk for losing their humanity and compassion for others. That is one of the reasons that I was so lenient on your pranking habits. It allowed you to experience a sense of happiness that you were denied far more I had hoped. If there is one piece of advice I can offer you it is this: never allow your innocence to be completely stripped away. It can sustain you even in the darkest of places."

The Hokage fell silent for a moment before he realized the he had gotten off track. As he glanced towards Naruto, he found the young blonde with a solemn and thoughtful expression on his face. Shaking his head at his mental wanderings, Sarutobi continued, "But enough of an old man's ramblings… Your father's letter indicated that your bloodline would complicate you ability to control chakra. In addition, your academy records indicate that this area could use some improvement. Please tell me what chakra control exercises you have learned and what the results have been."

Naruto looked at the Hokage for a moment before adverting his eyes. When he responded, Naruto voice was little more than a whisper. "I haven't learned any chakra control exercises. Actually, I am not really sure what chakra is exactly."

The Hokage straightened in his chair and looked at Naruto in shock. "What about during your second year at the academy when instructors explained chakra theory and its uses? Didn't they discuss various chakra control exercises?" Naruto shifted uneasily in his chair. While he didn't care what most people thought about him, confessing his shortcomings to old man Hokage did not feel good.

Sarutobi watched as the normally indomitable youth seemed to shrink before his eyes. Attempting to reassure the boy, the Sandaime continued, "Naruto, I am not angry with you or disappointed. I just need to know where you stand so that I can help you. Please answer the question as best you can."

After a brief pause, Naruto began to speak again, "I don't remember the instructors ever talking about that stuff. I was often told to go stand in the hall a lot during my first years at the academy. Usually I hadn't done anything to be punished for, but I was sent outside anyway. After awhile I decided that if I was going to be punished anyway, it might as well be for something worthwhile… It wasn't until Iruka-sensei took over the class that the instructors paid any attention to me."

As the implications of this statement sunk in, the Hokage wasn't sure if he should be angrier with the instructors or himself. 'I should have been paying closer attention to his treatment at the academy. I was going to show him some more advanced exercises, but I guess we will have to start with the basics. Maybe I should inform him of the true power of Kage Bunshin.' Taking a moment to collect and organize his thoughts, the Sandaime began, "Naruto, could you please execute Kage Bunshin no jutsu? Please concentrate on making only one Bunshin. I would like to perform a small demonstration."

Naruto shrugged and performed the jutsu. The Hokage smiled at how effortlessly he performed the technique and continued, "Now, please send the Kage Bunshin outside to retrieve a couple of leaves from a tree." After the two Narutos gave the old man a quizzical look, Naruto's clone left to complete its task.

"While we wait, I have some things that I want to discuss with you. There are three primary attributes that differentiate one ninja from another. Each of these aspects is very important and can mean the difference between life and death for a ninja. Those three aspects are physical effectiveness, mental acuity, and determination. You cannot be a truly successful ninja unless you possess all three of these attributes. If you are immensely strong physically, but weak of mind or weak in spirit, then you are destined for failure. You must have the intelligence to utilize your strength effectively and the will to persevere in the face of adversity in order to succeed."

"There is little I can teach you about perseverance as you are one of the most unwavering and determined individuals that I have ever met. If you are willing to listen, I have some suggestions on how you can improve in the two remaining areas." Naruto nodded to indicate his willingness to listen.

"I would like to point out that my comments are not intended as criticism, as my sole purpose in making these suggestions is to give you an unbiased opinion of where you can most improve. I should also mention that the path I am going to suggest will require you to work hard and to sacrifice much of your free time for the next couple of months, if not years. Are you willing to make that sort of commitment?"

Naruto nodded solemnly, "If that is what I have to do to achieve my goals, then I am willing to do it."

Sarutobi smiled at Naruto's statement. "Like I said, I have some suggestions that will assist you in two of these attributes. Physical effectiveness can be broken down into physical strength and one's chakra abilities. In the realm of physical strength, I recommend that you seek out the assistance of Maito Gai. He is a jounin instructor who is widely considered to be Konoha's foremost taijutsu expert. While he is a bit… eccentric, few currently residing in Konoha can match either his strength or his speed. If you were to approach him and convince him that you are willing to work hard, I am sure that he would be more than willing to assist you in your training. As for your chakra abilities, I will demonstrate a couple of chakra exercises shortly that will assist you with your control difficulties."

"A person's mental acuity can be quantified in a number of ways. There are those that would say that a person's knowledge is the most important aspect of mental acuity. A ninja's knowledge of jutsus, history, politics, geography, botany, anatomy, geology, and other topics can prove to be invaluable both in battle and in the execution of high level missions." Observing that Naruto appeared to become both confused and depressed at the long list of topics, Sarutobi was quick to offer assurances. "Another technique that I will demonstrate shortly will assist you in rounding out your knowledge base."

"There are others that would argue that a person's creativity would be a better method of measuring a person's mental acuity. By creativity, I mean the ability to devise plans and to think on one's feet in a crisis. This is where your strength lies. It always brought a smile to my face as I would watch you lead numerous chuunin and jounin on a chase throughout the village. The reason why you were able to evade them was not because you were faster or stronger, but because you were better prepared. You had superior knowledge of the terrain, used distractions to confuse your pursuers, and were willing to take risks that they were not." Chuckling softly, Sarutobi added, "It also helped that you had enough stamina to run most of them into the ground." It was during the second part of this discussion that Naruto's Kage Bunshin returned from its task.

"I think now would be a good chance to explain two of the chakra exercises that I mentioned earlier. Both exercises will assist you in overcoming some of the problems we have already discussed."

"The first is one of the most basic chakra exercises. It helps young ninja become familiar with drawing upon their chakra and teaches a rudimentary level of control. You will need to buy a small rubber ball for this exercise. The ball exercise involves placing the ball on the ground and attempting to move it back and forth between your hands without touching it. Your chakra will provide the initial movement and chakra from your other hand will allow you to stop the ball's movement and reverse its direction. Do you understand the purpose of the exercise and how it is performed?" Sarutobi mentally winced as the question came out a bit more condescending than he intended. There was really no alternative until he got a better grasp of Naruto's knowledge and skill base. At Naruto's affirmation, Sarutobi moved on to the next exercise.

"The second is a deceptively simple exercise. While considered fairly basic, it is one that few ninja ever fully master. It will be very tedious and difficult for someone with your chakra reserves, but mastery of this technique will have a large impact on your abilities in the years to come. In this exercise, you need to release just enough chakra from your hand to cause a leaf to hover above it. Like so." The leaf in Sarutobi's hand began to hover and slow rotate about two inches above his palm. "How high it floats depends on how much chakra you emit. If you release too little chakra, nothing will happen. If you release too much chakra, the leaf will fly away. You want it to hover about two to three inches above your palm and you want it to remain stable indefinitely. You should be able to do this with both hands. Do you have any questions?" Naruto shook his head.

Sarutobi gestured towards the stack of leaves that Naruto's bunshin had retrieved, now sitting on the corner of his desk and spoke, "Please give it a try." As he picked up a leaf and began the exercise, a look of concentration passed over Naruto face. The leave remained motionless for a moment before it was launched several feet into the air. The two ninja watched in silence as the leave slowly returned to the ground.

"Hmm… Perhaps we will start you out with something a bit heavier. When you practice this exercise, try using a flat stone or a shuriken. Once you have some success, then you can move on to lighter objects until you are able to perform the exercise with a leaf."

Sarutobi shifted slightly in anticipation before intoning, "Now for the knowledge-based technique. Please have the Kage Bunshin dispel itself." Sarutobi kept a close eye on Naruto as the jutsu ended. The Hokage noticed that Naruto's eyes widened briefly before a frown slowly appeared on his face.

"As I am sure you noticed, you received a bit of information as the jutsu dispelled itself. Do you have any idea as to how?"

After a moment of thought, Naruto responded, "I am not sure how, but I remember everything the clone did since I created it. I remember which tree it got the leaves from and even the lecture you just gave about the chakra exercises from a different perspective."

The Hokage nodded slowly before he began his explanation, "Kage Bunshin is listed as a kinjutsu for two reasons. First, it is fairly dangerous as it creates a number of solid clones and then divides the user's chakra equally among the bunshins. The jutsu is extremely chakra intensive and can be deadly to inexperienced ninja. If a ninja were to make too many Kage Bunshins, their real body would not have sufficient chakra reserves to survive. The second reason is a bit more complicated."

The Hokage leaned back in his chair and relit his pipe, as it had gone out during the meeting. "Unlike an ordinary Bushin, which is just an illusion, a Kage Bunshin is an actual clone. Each Kage Bunshin retains all the intelligence and abilities of the creator. When the Kage Bushin is dispersed, either through its own actions or the actions of others, the chakra stored within the clone returns to the creator, less the energy used in its creation and during its existence. Any experience or knowledge it gained during its existence is also returned to the creator, but only if the Kage Bunshin disperses itself."

"This means that this is a very potent technique both in and out of combat. In combat, it is the prefect scout as they have the ability to instantaneously communicate anything they observe to the creator over great distances simply by dispersing themselves. As they are full clones, each Kage Bunshin retains the thoughts of its creator and is able to act in a coordinated fashion. While they do not have the physical durability of some other bunshin techniques, Kage Bunshins are capable of performing jutsus independent of their creator and are limited only by the amount of chakra they possess. These aspects of the jutsu allow it to act as a force multiplier, enabling a skilled shinobi to turn the tide of a battle if used in the appropriate manner." The Hokage paused in his speech to ensure that Naruto was paying attention. The ninja in question had an awed expression on his face as he thought of the implications of what the Hokage was saying.

Pleased, the Hokage continued, "Outside of combat, Kage Bunshin is a near perfect training jutsu. The creator is able to multiply themselves numerous times and perform multiple, independent tasks. When each of these tasks is completed, the clones can simply disperse themselves and the knowledge and experience the Kage Bunshin gained is transmitted back to its creator. These tasks could be simply reading a book or practicing a jutsu. With this jutsu, a ninja can learn many times faster than would normally be possible. There are a couple of limitations or drawbacks to the jutsu. The first is that the task or jutsu being practiced can not be overly violent as the Kage Bunshin could be dispersed accidentally. The second is that the ninja is still required to physically exercise their body to execute what is learned as only knowledge and chakra are returned to the creator." After a brief pause to allow the information to sink in, the Hokage continued, "I believe that these techniques will assist you a great deal in overcoming both the difficulties your father outlined with regard to chakra control and the obstacles that may arise after you claim your heritage."

Naruto remained silent for several moments, considering what he had just learned. "That sounds an awful lot like cheating. I do not think that I would feel right about gaining power without having done the work myself. It just feels… dishonest."

The Hokage took a puff from his pipe, contemplating how to address Naruto's concerns. He reflected that this conversation perfectly crystallized Naruto's personality better than any other instance he had come across. Where other shinobi, such as the young Uchiha survivor, would leap at the chance to gain such an advantage over others, Naruto is concerned about the fairness of having such an advantage.

"Making use of the tools at your disposal, whether a bloodline or a special skill, is an integral part of being a ninja. You are merely making the best use of your abilities. You will not be harming or taking advantage of anyone through the actions I have described. I, personally, utilize this technique to help complete the mounds of paperwork that this job entails. If it wasn't for this technique, I think I would have been driven insane long ago. I am still doing the work, but I am working smarter, not harder."

Taking another draw from his pipe, the elderly Hokage continued, "Sadly, the exercises I have described are simply compensating for injuries visited upon you by some of your academy instructors. While Kage Bunshin will enable you to learn at an accelerated rate, it will be only through your hard work and perseverance that you will succeed." Observing that Naruto did not seem totally convinced, Sarutobi decided to impart one additional pearl of wisdom.

"A wise man once said that 'It is not ambition that makes one strong, but the ability to control that ambition.' I am pleased to see that while you are very ambitious, your ambition is tempered by an code of honor that will assist you in moderating your actions."

Naruto turned the quote over in his head for a couple of minutes before slowly nodding his agreement to the Hokage's suggestions. The two further discussed the details of how Naruto should structure his training before they decided to part ways. As he was about to depart, Naruto looked back towards the Sandaime and asked, "By the way, who said that quote?"

Sarutobi looked at him with a sad smile before answering, "Your father."

A/N – This should be the last of the introductory chapters. The next couple of chapters consist of Naruto training and interacting with other characters. I have attempted to move Naruto's training along at a reasonable pace; so don't expect him to become all-powerful and godlike by Chapter 10. The story should begin to pick up speed starting in the next chapter. To provide a frame of reference, the current outline has Chapters 08-10 covering the events in Wave and Chapters 17-22 covering the Chuunin Examination and the invasion. Most of the major events through the recovery mission are covered, but there are a few original missions and quite a bit of back-story built into the plot. Right now I have a fairly solid outline through Chapter 37 with about 150,000 words drafted. It is odd that some of the later chapters are already near final form while others are barely outlined. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

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	5. Chapter 5

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 05: Knowledge is Power

Naruto's return to wakefulness was abrupt as the young ninja's alarm shattered the peaceful silence of his apartment like a kunai through a plate glass window. After Naruto noticed that it was still dark outside, he remembered that he was going to search for Maito Gai this morning. Barely fifteen minutes after waking, Naruto was out the door thinking, 'I don't know what I would do without instant ramen.'

The Hokage had told him that he could locate Maito Gai at Training Field 11 early in the morning. As he arrived at the training area, his attention was automatically drawn to the training posts where two ninja were visible in the dull pre-dawn light. The smaller one of the pair was pounding away at the training post in a flurry of movement while the other was observing from off to the side. Both of them looked to be remarkably similar both in appearance and clothing. Their heads were cover with thick black hair shaped into the most unsightly bowl cuts Naruto had ever seen. They were wearing hideous green leotards, which were thankfully fairly loose on their frames. These 'outfits' were completed by bright orange leg warmers. Even in the poor lighting conditions, these clothing articles stood out against the forest gloom like the mid day sun. Naruto shook his head at the thought. 'I really can't say anything as it has only been two days since I was dressed head to toe in a similar color.'

With his random thoughts out of the way, Naruto refocused his attention on who he believed to be Maito Gai…, only to find that he had disappeared in the second Naruto had been thinking. Before Naruto could look around, the missing ninja announced his presence from about ten feet behind Naruto. The man's loud voice boomed across the distance even though it appeared he was attempting to not disturb the other ninja. "Good morning youthful genin! What brings you to Training Field 11 at such an hour?" As Naruto spun around, he observed two details that Naruto had missed or passed over in his initial evaluation. The large jounin's leotard was accompanied in a green combat vest similar to the one worn by Kakashi-sensei. Naruto was surprised that he hadn't noticed it before, as it seemed to be the only clothing item the other shinobi was not emulating. But the sight of the thickest eyebrows that Naruto had ever seen vanquished this observation almost instantly. 'They are huge!!! They look like massive caterpillars that have decided to take up residence on his forehead!!!'

Naruto nearly smacked himself for being distracted by something so stupid. "I am looking for Maito Gai. I was told that he practiced in this area each morning."

The jounin flashed Naruto a broad smile of bright, unnaturally white teeth. "And you were told correctly. My student, Rock Lee, and I begin each day with a brisk workout. It helps to stoke our fires of youth for the day ahead. May I inquire as to your name and who told you of our training?"

Naruto looked up confused for a moment as he tried to comprehend what the jounin had said. 'Helps to 'stoke their fires of youth'? And I thought the old man was just being weird when he said Gai was eccentric.' Naruto once again dismissed this thought as unimportant as he responded, "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Uzumaki Naruto and old man Hokage is the one that told me of your morning routine. He said that I should talk to you about improving my overall strength and speed."

The green clad jounin took on a thoughtful expression as he muttered to himself, "Hmm… a young student sent by Hokage-sama himself… the only time I think I could help him is in the mornings and that is not my time to give… LEE!!!"

The Gai's half-sized clone joined his sensei in an instant. Naruto blinked as the only person he had seen move at such speed was Kakashi-sensei. Then again he had not even noticed Gai moving a minute earlier. 'Why am I surprised? The old man said that Gai was one of the fastest people in Konoha.' Witnessing this speed first hand in Gai's student hardened Naruto's resolved to apply himself to any training he received. There must have been some visible cue as this thought crossed Naruto's mind as Gai remarked, "Ah, it appears that you are eager to start stoking the fires of your youth!"

Before Naruto could comment on the rather odd statement, Gai had turned to his student. "Lee, the youthful person standing before us is Uzumaki Naruto. Hokage-sama has recognized my youthfulness and has sent me another student to guide along the path. Would you find it acceptable if he joined our morning sessions? I have only been talking to him for minute and I can already tell that his youthfulness is strong."

This stream of consciousness must have made sense to the genin, as the boy in question focused his gaze on Naruto with a strange fire burning in his eyes. One of Lee's hands, which were wrapped in bandages, was clinched into a fist in front him as he exclaimed, "It would be an honor to train with a youthful person sent by Hokage-sama himself!!! This is only further proof that Gai-sensei is the greatest jounin-instructor in all of Konoha!!!

After that, the two green clad ninja quickly led Naruto through a series of stretching exercises. Then the three ninja began to run around the village. At first the run started out as a light jog. Then the pace slowly increased to a solid run and finally evolved into an all out sprint. After about fifteen minutes at this pace, Naruto was beginning to feel it. Naruto glanced over at Gai-sensei and found him running as if this was nothing at all. 'I guess I shouldn't be surprised… He is a jounin after all.' Naruto glanced to his other side and he found Lee grinning back at him. Lee, noticing Naruto's attention, decided to initiate a conversation. "Isn't this great Naruto? Few other ninja are up at this hour. It makes it much easier for us to…" Lee continued to talk about odd topics without visible effort as Naruto struggled to maintain the breakneck pace. 'And I thought I had stamina…'

XXXXX

After the run, Naruto dropped to his hands and knees in exhaustion just inside of the training grounds. He had lost count of the number of circuits they had made around the village. Eventually Naruto's sole concern became placing one foot in front of the other. His entire body ached, his stomach was protesting against the ramen he had eaten for breakfast, and he was only minutes away from attacking Lee. His fellow genin had continued to pace Naruto even after the blonde's pace had fallen off of the dead sprint. The fact that the overly enthusiastic genin the boy had maintained the blistering pace effortlessly with a creepy smile on his face rankled Naruto for unknown reasons. A steady pounding from across the clearing brought Naruto's thoughts back to his surroundings. He looked up to see Lee literally demolishing a training post with a combination of punches and kicks. The blonde genin was simply dumbstruck as he watched pieces of the sturdy training post fly off in different directions. 'How does he still have the energy to move after that run? How is he even doing that?'

Naruto was shaken from his observations by a rather enthusiastic Gai-sensei. "That was an excellent start and it will get easier once you get used to it! You will find that the results will be well worth your hard work and any temporary discomfort." Gai's focus shifted to Lee as he continued, "The flames of youth are truly amazing. It is only through hard work that you can achieve the results that you are observing in Lee. He truly is remarkable."

With that observation, Gai-sensei began to run Naruto through a series of exercises and balance routines. The repetitions appeared to be just enough for Naruto to feel impact of the exercises without any harmful effects. By fifteen minutes to eight, Naruto felt sore in places he didn't even know he had. After bidding goodbye to the enthusiastic pair, Naruto made his way to the library to initiate the next stage in his training.

XXXXX

Konoha's main library was a cavernous building located between the commercial and residential areas. Naruto's previous experience with the building was limited to once using it as a hiding place while escaping from a group of particularly determined chuunin after a prank. Smiling briefly at the thought, Naruto knocked on the main door despite early hour. Moments later, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman that Naruto could only describe as severe. From the style of her clothing to the tight bun she used to secure her hair, she seemed to radiate an aura of strictness. Naruto decided to be polite as possible as he… rather his bunshins would probably be having a great deal of interaction with this woman. "Good morning, ma'am."

"Good morning. Are you the boy sent by Hokage-sama?" Naruto waited a beat before nodding in the affirmative. It was rare that an adult did not recognize him on sight, so he was a bit confused by the question. "Excellent. While Hokage-sama's request is a bit unusual, but I am certain we will be able to accommodate your needs. Please follow me."

The woman turned around and quickly led Naruto deeper into the building. The darkened interior of the silent building was filled with numerous shelves of books and scroll. Naruto's head rotated from side to side as he tried to get a good understanding of the building's layout. The woman had led him to the back of the library where they stopped in front of a door marked 'Do Not Disturb'. The woman removed a set of keys from her pocket, unlocked the door, and swung it open. The flick of a light switch revealed a large room containing four rectangular tables. Each table had four chairs that appeared to be more functional than comfortable. With the exception of the light fixtures and a countertop that ran along one of the walls, the room was bare of other furnishings. Instead of replacing the keys in her pocket, the woman passed them to Naruto as she began to speak once again, "The bronze colored key is for the main doors of the library and the silver one is for this door. I understand that you will be using the library at odd hours and quite often, so this seemed to be the best solution. Please remember to lock the main doors if you are here after normal hours. The room has been set aside for your use. Please try to keep the room neat. If you finish with any books or scrolls, please set them outside on the cart near the door so they can be refilled for others. Do you have any questions?"

Naruto looked down at the keys in his hand with a shocked expression. No one had ever given him unfettered access to anything before. The amount of trust inherent in the gesture struck him suddenly. Naruto looked up at the woman a bit warily. The woman before him struck him as strange. She did not treat him with disgust or ignore him like most adults. If anything, Naruto found her to be polite, if a bit formal and detached. 'Why is she different? Does she know of the Kyuubi or did she move here after the secrecy rules were put in place? Is this how most people are treated or is this because the old man talked to her?' After two seconds, Naruto concluded that answering these questions would require a rather awkward conversation. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. What is yours?"

The woman looked surprised for a moment before she blushed lightly. The coloring looked so out of place on the woman that Naruto could not help but smile at it. "Oh, I am sorry. I thought I had introduced myself at the door. My name is Kitakawa Ayumi."

'No reaction what so ever, but she did show embarrassment at not having introduced herself. Strange…' Naruto suddenly remembered that he had to meet his team in a couple of minutes. A quick hand sign later and the area outside the room was filled with a dozen Kage Bunshins. The woman looked shocked at the display and took a step backwards. Naruto scratched his head sheepishly as he thought, 'Maybe I should have warned her. I tend to forget that civilians are sometimes shocked by such techniques.' Naruto cleared his throat before he began to explain, "Sorry about that, Kitakawa-san. The Bunshins will be the ones using the library most of the time. They should respond as if you were talking to me, so it will probably be easiest to think of them as me. The only other question I can think of is if you could briefly explain to the Bunshins how the books are organized. I am sorry to leave so abruptly, but I have to meet my team in about two minutes. Thank you for your help and I will try to keep everything clean and organized." Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Naruto quickly exited the building and headed off for the training grounds at a light jog. He wasn't in a particular hurry, as Kakashi-sensei did not strike him as being overly concerned with punctuality.

XXXXX

The Hokage's two chuunin assistants arrived at the office early this morning only to be sent back out to accomplish an errand. As far as missions went, it was unbelievably easy. But it also made very little sense. The two ninja had been instructed to gather all the academy documents and files regarding the recently graduated class of genin. Student files, instructor files, course outlines, requisitions of supplies and materials… The list went on. The two ninja speculated on why they were gathering all this bureaucratic paperwork, but were unable to come up with a decent answer. The only thing the chuunins could agree on was that they hoped that they wouldn't have to read and organize all this crap.

XXXXX

Naruto arrived at the bridge exactly at eight without comment or fanfare. He found his two teammates awaiting their sensei's 'imminent' arrival, doing nothing more than silently staring off into space or brooding about one issue or another. Naruto snorted as he thought, 'And they call me a dobe. Even I can see a pattern between Kakashi-sensei being three hours late for our first meeting and being five hours late for the second.' Observing that his teammates might as well be statues, Naruto continued past them into the training area. As he had just spent morning running, Naruto decided to sit down and try out one of the chakra exercises that the Hokage had talked about. He reached into his pocket and removed the ball that he had purchased the day before. It was a perfectly ordinary rubber ball; blue in color with a white stripe around its equator. After looking around for a level area, Naruto settled himself at the base of a nearby tree and got to work. After a couple of tentative nudges with his chakra, Naruto attempted to roll the ball across the ground towards his other hand. The ball suddenly shot past his other hand, bouncing and rolling towards the center of the clearing. Naruto glared in its direction before rising to retrieve the ball.

As he resumed his seat, a shadow darker than the tree's shade fell on the ground beside him. Naruto looked up to find Sasuke standing a couple of feet to the side, staring at the ball. Sasuke couldn't help but notice the changes in Naruto over the past couple of days: his change in behavior since the academy examination, the use of an advanced bunshin jutsu during Kakashi's test, and, now, a completely new wardrobe. 'At least someone else is taking this seriously.' This complimentary thought, however, did not alter their 'relationship', if you could call it that. With his normal smirk, Sasuke intoned, "Aren't you a little old to be playing with children's toys?"

Naruto decided to ignore emo-teme and resumed his exercise. He succeeded in slowly rolling the ball to his other hand when Sasuke, still standing where he was before, spoke once again, "Why are you practicing such a basic exercise? I learned that exercise when I was six."

Naruto colored briefly at the implied insult, but quickly responded to the emo-teme with a scowl, "If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it. But since I didn't, I would appreciate it if you and that large stick you have shoved up your ass would go back over to where you were before. I am sure that you have quite a bit of brooding to catch up on."

Sakura, who had followed Sasuke over, screeched, "You have no right to speak to Sasuke-kun like that!!!"

Looking over at the pink haired kunoichi, the blonde shinobi couldn't help but feel a slight pang of hurt at the comment, but quickly dismissed the feeling. Naruto stared at Sakura for a long moment before he intoned, "I am pretty sure that I didn't ask for your opinion either… Please just leave me alone."

Sasuke was surprised at Naruto's rather cool rebuke of Sakura, but quickly hid it. 'I guess there have been quite a few changes.' With derisive 'hnnn', Sasuke turned and walked towards to the bridge to wait for their sensei. Sakura didn't spare Naruto another glance as she trailed behind the last Uchiha.

XXXXX

The two genin returned to the bridge they had been waiting on. Sasuke was about to dismiss Naruto's odd behavior for the moment and return to his own thoughts when Sakura began ranting about the blonde dobe. "Naruto has no manners at all. We were simply asking about his training and he practically rips our heads off. I tell you that boy just wasn't raised right. He doesn't have a mother or father to teach him right from wrong. In some ways I envy him. If I acted that way my parents would ground me for a month. But he is able to get away with murder because no one is there to tell him any better." Sakura briefly paused in her rant as she glanced in Naruto's direction. As her attention was momentarily focused elsewhere, she did not notice Sasuke's incredulous expression shifting to anger.

"But if it wasn't for my parents, I would probably be as ill mannered as him. He is obnoxious and selfish and he doesn't have any social skills. He is all alone and probably doomed…"

"Shut up." Sasuke's tone was low, but hard and unwavering. Sakura's diatribe ground to a halt as she rounded on the young Uchiha in shock, only to find Sasuke glaring at her with an expression that caused her to freeze. Even as his expression returned to a more normal scowl, her mind seemed to rebel at Sasuke having told her to shut up, despite the glare she had been receiving from him. She tentatively asked a simple question, hoping that she had somehow misunderstood him, "What?"

"Alone. Isolated. You have no idea what those words mean. You sit there mocking him when you have no idea what he has endured. You need to shut up before someone does it for you." Sakura's voice came out as barely a whisper, "Why are you saying this to me?"

"Because you are annoying. You are cold and heartless." Sasuke's preferred indifference temporarily lost out to his anger at her ranting. For obvious reasons, Sakura's comments struck a cord with Sasuke. With all the teasing Sakura had endured when she first started at the academy, he would have thought her above such comments. "What's next? Are you going to go by the orphanage after our mission to mention that they don't have any parents either? Or perhaps you are going to drop by the Inuzuka Compound to kick some newborn puppies?"

Sasuke clamped down on his anger as he turned his head to the side. 'This is pointless. I should be practicing. I have better things to worry about than what this idiot fan girl thinks.' Sasuke turned to depart, but he paused, as he couldn't help finishing what he started. "I would have thought you were above such things, but it is obvious that I was mistaken. I may have my differences with the dobe, but I have far more in common with him than I will ever have with you."

Having said his piece, Sasuke stalked away from the bridge and the now sniffling kunoichi standing there. 'Pathetic…'

XXXXX

The Hokage looked around the meeting room at the stacks of records that were spread across the conference room table. The Hokage sighed as he pulled a three-inch thick file closer. The file contained documents outlining Naruto's time at the academy. This included notes on his academic and physical achievements as well as any disciplinary actions and injuries. As the next thickest file was only about a half inch thick, he could not help the scowl that fell across his face. He divided the file into stacks, executed Kage Bunshin, and got to work.

XXXXX

Naruto had continued his exercise for another half hour before he started to become frustrated. After a couple moments of breathing deeply, he was able to settle down. This frustration led him to set the ball down and think about what the Hokage had said the day before about this exercise. This review was quickly side tracked by remembering the Hokage's speech about Kage Bunshin. 'Outside of combat, Kage Bunshin is a near perfect training jutsu.'

Naruto almost smacked himself in the head. 'I can use the jutsu outside of the library as well. As long as the Bunshins do not get dispersed, they will help me learn the exercise in no time.' Naruto smiled to himself as he glanced back towards the bridge. He noted that Sasuke was no where in sight and Sakura seemed to be fairly depressed. There was a small part of him that wanted to find out what the problem was, but this voice was ruthlessly crushed. 'She probably just asked the teme out again and got turned down.' Anyways, it didn't matter because his team mates were not watching him any more. With a handseal, Naruto was surrounded by eight Kage Bunshins and they began the exercise once again.

XXXXX

It was early afternoon and Naruto was wandering the far reaches of the training area. The mission his team had been assigned was an embarrassment to ninja everywhere. Naruto wasn't sure what he really expected for their first mission, but delivering groceries to a villager with a broken leg was not it. And to top it off, the grouchy old man was very picky, causing them to visit six different stores throughout the city. Luckily, Kage Bunshin allowed them to split up to complete the delivery quickly.

Lost in his thoughts, it took Naruto a moment to realize that he had stumbled across a wide, overgrown clearing. 'If the landscaping is anything to go by, this place hasn't been used in years.' As Naruto visually swept the clearing, his eyes fell upon a set of training posts set off to the clearing's far side. 'Clean the place up a bit, find a couple of targets, and I will have a private training area.' Trying to visualize where he was, Naruto thought about the distance he had traveled to get here and estimated that he was relatively close to the village's primary wall. But this section of forest probably received fairly little traffic, as it is fair distance from any roads and there are no gates in the immediate area.

XXXXX

Umino Iruka was sitting quietly at his desk as he tried to wrap up some record keeping details related to the recent genin tests. As two thirds of the class would be have the option of returning to the academy, Iruka wanted to make sure that their next sensei had a solid understanding of each student's strengths and weaknesses. He had just finished his notes on the last student and was organizing them to be filed in the academy records room, when an ANBU member appeared in the classroom. Momentarily taken aback by the ninja's sudden appearance, Iruka inquired, "May I help you, ANBU-san?"

"The Hokage requires you presence in his office at seven tonight." The ANBU waited for Iruka to acknowledge the order before teleporting away. Iruka frowned in thought as he tried to think of why the Hokage would want to see him. When nothing came to mind, he went back to work.

XXXXX

Naruto decided to drop by the library to replace the Kage Bunshins before going to get dinner. As he entered the study room, he was pleased to see that all the Kage Bunshins were still there and hard at work. "Hey do you guys know how much chakra you have left?" It was really strange to be asking himself such question, but Naruto shrugged off the oddity as over a dozen independent clones focused their attention on him. A Kage Bunshin located at one of the far tables answered, "We have barely used a forth of the chakra you gave us. It is not really a surprise as we have only been reading all day." Naruto briefly wondered why that particular clone answered and not one of the others. Naruto shook off his wonderings at Kage Bunshin politics as he considered the answer. 'Maybe I'll only have to replace them once a day instead of twice like I was thinking. It would make my trips to the library less conspicuous… although going to the library on a daily basis is still a bit strange.'

"Okay guys, time to dismiss yourselves so we can go get some ramen." As the clones' expressions brightened, Naruto wondered about his choice of pronoun, 'Why did I use 'we'? I am the only one that will be going to eat ramen. Of course I will have their…' Before he could finish that thought, Naruto's head exploded in pain. The blonde genin barely restrained himself from crying out in agony as he fell to his knees, clutching the sides of his head. His breath escaped through his clenched teeth with a low hiss as he continued to struggle with the blinding pain. After a couple of seconds, the pain seemed to crest and began to subside at a steady rate. He was able to release his head as the sharp, stabbing pain had been reduced to a dull ache seemingly located directly behind his eyes. As the pain cleared, his mind began to process the massive amount of information his clones had collected throughout the day. After a couple of minutes, Naruto was able to create the replacement Kage Bunshins and left the library. Naruto absently rubbed his temples as he considered, 'Maybe they should disperse themselves overtime instead of all at once.'

XXXXX

Iruka arrived five minutes before the appointed time only to find the Hokage's office guarded by two ANBU members. Before he could inquire if the meeting had been rescheduled, one of the ANBU opened the door and gestured for the scarred chuunin to enter. The scene he found inside did little to quail Iruka's growing anxiety. The Hokage was seated at his desk, silently observing four shinobi seated before him. Iruka recognized all the seated individuals as all four shinobi either were teaching or had recently taught at the academy. After noting this, Iruka became aware of the four other shinobi standing around the room: two ANBU in the back and two jounin behind the Hokage. As there was a vacant chair beside the other four ninja, Iruka seated himself with a sense of dread.

As he was apparently the last to arrive, Iruka was not surprised that the Hokage began to speak after he was seated. "The purpose of the academy is to take talented youths and mold them into dedicated and honorable ninja. To achieve this goal the academy employs instructors to guide these youths. The role these instructors play is integral to the village's continued prosperity and existence. To foster growth, nurture talents, and shape minds… these are the roles of the academy instructors. With Mizuki's betrayal, I undertook a personal investigation into the academy's activities, specifically with regard to Uzumaki Naruto. During this investigation, a troubling pattern began to emerge... It appears that several instructors have engaged in a coordinated effort to sabotage the young Uzumaki's academic pursuits." The Hokage paused for a moment as he scanned the ninja seated before him. All five had taught Naruto at the academy, either as the class's principle sensei or as an assistant.

"I find it disturbing that ninja under my command took it upon themselves to engage is such behavior. It is embarrassment for adults to engage in harming someone with no recourse and it is a waste of valuable resources. That boy, properly trained, has the potential to surpass all ninja currently serving in our ranks." One of the chuunin seated before him scoffed at this statement.

The Hokage's attention shifted towards Toji, the shinobi in question. 'Clearly not the most intelligent of ninja… to actually draw attention to himself while being dressed down by the Hokage and surrounded by ANBU.' "Oh. It sounds as if one of you disagrees with my assessment? Perhaps you think that I am exaggerating? That I am off my rocker? If I remember your evaluation correctly, you stated that Naruto should be dismissed from the academy as a 'lost cause'."

The Hokage leaned forward slightly, the volume to his voice increasing as he continued, "Well, please explain to me how a 'lost cause' was able to learn a jounin level kinjutsu in two hours. Please explain to me how a 'lost cause' was able to defeat an experienced chuunin while protecting a loyal Konoha shinobi. As you seem to believe that you have all the answers, please explain to me how an academy student has larger chakra reserves than all of you put together!!!"

The Sandaime settled down as he glared at the ninja sitting in front of him. "And just so you know, it has nothing to do with the burden he bears. The Yondaime did not choose Naruto to bear his burden by chance. He was selected specifically due to his unique potential. Simply because you are too shortsighted and narrow minded to see that potential does not mean it doesn't exist. The actions of some in this room could have resulted in creating an enemy that could surpass Uchiha Itachi or Orochimaru in shear power within a couple of years." The Hokage's statement hung in the air for a long moment.

"I truly am curious… Do any of you think that you would be better suited to rule this village? I ask only because some in this group have taken it upon themselves to make decisions that could impact the whole village." Again the silence lasted for a long moment before the Hokage continued.

"As no one appears to have any delusions about who is the Hokage, please allow me to clarify your role in this village. As instructors, you are not in the position to decide who is entitled to be a Konoha shinobi and who isn't. You do not have sufficient information to make such decisions. Given the reactions I have noticed in this group, I am beginning to wonder if you even have the intelligence to continue serving as shinobi. Your role as academy instructors was simply to give your students the tools to learn and allow them to pass or fail on their own merits. But your actions have demonstrated a willingness to disregard this role, thereby disregarding lawful orders. I have no need for ninjas that are unable to follow orders. Some would call your disregard for your responsibilities to be acts of disobedience… of insubordination. Others would label them as treason."

"I am more inclined to later. Through your actions, you have undertaken to weaken Konoha. You have not even attempted weaken this student through neglect. I have found evidence that academy instructors have actively attempted to hamstring a student's ability to learn."

"When I reviewed Naruto's academy file, I found that he was written up countless times for 'disrupting the class' and other vague offenses during his first years at the academy. For each of these offenses, Naruto was sent outside of the classroom to wait in the hall in addition to other punishments. There were some weeks where Naruto spent more time in the hall than in the classroom. Some of you meticulously filled out the forms for each of these offences in hopes of having him dismissed from your class. But oddly enough, this documentation only served to highlight a suspicious pattern. Could anyone explain why each of these 'disruptions' appeared to directly correlate to important lectures? Introductions to chakra, to hand seals, to basic first aid… lectures on genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu… the list goes on."

"Given this treatment, I was curious as to how many other students were ever sent out of your classes. Let us start with Toji. In the three years you taught at the academy, you never sent another student out of the classroom. The same can be said for the two years that Kaji taught at the academy. While I found other disciplinary records indicating similar offences, they were all assigned other punishments that would not harm their academic standing."

"Given this pattern, I began to look for other oddities. For instance, Toji, why were only 29 sets of textbooks drawn from the supply room when your final academy class held 30 students? Or how about the same for practice sets of kunai and shuriken? Or why is it that Naruto suffered more 'training accidents' than any ten other students combined?" The questions hung in the air for a long moment before the Hokage continued, "Once again the paperwork is painting an unpalatable picture."

"What would happen if Naruto was assigned an important mission…, one where he was forced to draw upon the skills he was supposed to have learned at the academy? What happens when a he is caught unaware by a simple genjutsu? Or when he is unable to save a fellow shinobi because you idiots did not want to teach him first aid?!?!" The Hokage slamming his fist on his desk only emphasized the anger obvious in this last question.

Taking a deep breath, the Hokage paused in his questioning. 'I think I have made my point. With the exception of Iruka, they don't seem to be showing any signs of surprise or remorse. Let's get this over with.' Sarutobi's voice took on a far more detached tone than he hade been using for most of the meeting. "There appears to have been an organized effort to subvert my expressed wishes. A group of shinobi has allowed their personal views to supercede their assigned duties." The statement once again hung in the silence filling the room, before the Hokage continued, "Just so that we are clear, your fates have not been decided yet. Right now, all we have is a great deal of circumstantial evidence."

"But that is sufficient to continue the investigation. I need to know exactly how much damage has been inflicted on this village through your actions. Have there been others that you have sabotaged through your actions? Were you instructed to undertake these actions by a third party… perhaps an agent of another village? Or were you simply acting out of your own ignorance? These are just a few of the questions that need to be answered. And I will have a full accounting of your actions and your motives."

"Right now you have two options. All of you are going to discuss these matters with one of the two men standing behind me. The one on my right is Yamanaka Inoichi. His family has developed a technique that will allow him to verify certain facts by viewing the memories of willing individuals. Once this technique is utilized, the subject of the technique will have no control over what memories he views. The technique is absolutely painless and will verify beyond a shadow of a doubt the circumstances behind your actions."

"If you decide that you do not want to cooperate with the investigation, then you will discuss this matter further with the man on my left. For those of you unfamiliar with him, I would like to introduce you to Morino Ibiki, the head of the ANBU Torture and Interrogation Unit…"

XXXXX

For Naruto, the next couple of days passed in a blur of training, missions, and studying. Naruto was currently sitting in Ichiraku's Ramen telling the proprietor about an awesome book he had found in the library the previous day.

The book did not so much as talk about a specific martial art style as it talked about the basics. Simple things like how to throw a punch or how to kick. It went on to explain how to execute both actions with minimum effort and without over extending yourself. It outlined stretching techniques to improve flexibility and exercises meant to improve one's agility. It described a way to walk that maintains one's center of gravity in a position so as not to hinder a person's movement at any given moment. It also detailed the proper way to fall so as to minimize the impact on the body. In short, it was the introduction to taijutsu that Naruto had been looking for. As he read the book, Naruto realized that he could practice just about everything on his own. He had been practicing the exercises all afternoon in his clearing. The walking thing was the most fundamental change that he would have to endure and it was the one giving him the most problems.

As Naruto paused in his ramblings to demolish another bowl of ramen, he began to contemplate an unexpected problem in his studies. The problem was that his studies were being hampered as they were simply too disorganized. There was so much that he had to learn that he was having trouble focusing on individual topics. For instance, the Kage Bunshins had found several books on chakra control only to discover that most of the concepts did not make any sense. The Bunshins then tried to find explanations for these topics, but only met with limited success. And without a firm understanding of the basics, it simply wasn't possible to do more than stumble around the library aimlessly.

A person taking the seat beside him interrupted the blonde genin's thoughts. Naruto looked up to see Iruka-sensei smiling at him. The scarred chuunin placed his order before turning to the boy sitting beside him. "Hey, Naruto. How are things going? And what happened to your jumpsuit?"

As the young genin responded, Iruka found his thoughts wondering back to his meeting with the Hokage. Personally, Iruka felt ashamed of himself for not understanding why Naruto struggled so much during his time at the academy. He had thought that the boy had simply ignored his studies, preferring to plan and execute his pranks. But the truth was that Naruto was unable to perform at the same level as the other students due to the actions of his previous instructors. The chuunin mentally cringed as he reflected on the countless times he had scolded the young ninja for his poor jutsu skills. These were painful memories now that he realized how hard Naruto must have worked to achieve even those mediocre results. These realizations left Iruka feeling conflicted on how he was supposed to act around Naruto. On one hand, he felt sorry that the boy had been the victim of the other senseis' actions. On the other, Iruka knew that Naruto would not want to be pitied and that such feelings would not solve anything.

While Iruka was contemplating how he had failed in his duty as an instructor, Naruto had been discussing many of the things that he had been doing over the past couple of days. He talked about his training with Gai-sensei and Lee, about being assigned stupid missions like recovering lost cats, and about the new book he was studying. Just as he was wrapping up his explanation, Naruto's head whipped towards the scarred chuunin and he asked, "Iruka-sensei, could you give me a copy of the academy's course outlines?"

Iruka, looking a bit confused by the both the abrupt change in subject and the odd request, responded, "I could, but why would you want those? You already graduated from the academy."

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly as he responded, "There are a couple of subjects that are still giving me some problems. I just want to make sure that I understand the basics before I move on to other things. I figured that outlines would give me a guide to ensure I had all the academy stuff covered."

The answer was obviously intended to reassure Iruka by understating Naruto's problems and hiding the real reason for making such a request. 'It is just like him to distract others from the problems he must be facing.' Iruka couldn't help but admire that Naruto was taking it upon himself to learn what he had been denied by the academy senseis. Not wanting to embarrass the boy, the chuunin simply responded. "Come by the academy tomorrow morning and I will have them ready. And if you have any questions about the topics, just drop by anytime and I will see if I can help."

Naruto smiled brightly as he began to eat another bowl of ramen. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei!!!"

XXXXX

Naruto was once again preparing to accompany Gai-sensei and Lee on their morning run around the village, when Gai-sensei's voice interrupted his stretching exercises. "Lee, please go on ahead of us. We will join you in a couple of minutes." With a quick glance, the genin nodded in the affirmative and quickly vanished from sight.

Naruto's attention was instantly focused on the jounin, as calm nature of the jounin's voice indicated that he wanted to discuss something important. "Naruto, I think it is time that we begin your weight training."

Naruto's gaze focused on the package he noticed in the jounin's hands as he inquired, "Weight training?"

Gai opened the package to reveal a set of small metal weights inscribed with seals. "These are the primary training tools that Lee and I use to improve our speed and strength. They are not normal weights. Though these weights look small and insubstantial, they are made from a special ore that is only found in Earth Country. This ore is able to absorb chakra and convert it into a form of gravity energy, which makes them many times heavier than their size would indicate."

Naruto's face took on an excited expression at having found out how the two of shinobi had achieved such speed. This excitement was quickly brought to a halt as he recalled that Gai-sensei and Lee had both been effortlessly running him into the ground for the past week. 'And while they were doing it they were wearing Kami only knows how much extra weight. I really do have a long way to go…' After this thought, another one occurred to the young genin, which he immediately voiced, "But I thought that Lee was unable to use chakra?"

Gai nodded solemnly and continued, "I had similar concerns, but he has proven able to use the weights. It is my hope that the weights will improve his chakra system through continuous use, enabling him to use some basic jutsus one day. Lee knows of this possibility. But, even if that day never comes, he is determined to pursue his goals relentlessly so that he can always look back and say that he tried his best. Determination, even in the face of adversity, is the true mark of a genius of hard work." Gai paused in his explanation, looking lost for a moment before his focus returned.

"As I was saying, these weights are special. The process of refining and manufacturing the ore is one of the most closely guarded secrets of Iwa and remains unknown to the outside world. The effectiveness and rarity of this ore causes items such as these weights to be valuable and highly sought after. The primary benefit of utilizing the ore in these weights is that it enables ninja to engage in weight training without undue bulk. However, since the Third Great Shinobi War, Iwa has enforced an embargo on the sale of these weights and other such items to those outside Earth Country. The penalty for exporting and selling this ore to outsiders is death. Due to the rarity of this ore and great risks in exporting it outside of Stone County, a set of these weights can cost more than their weight in gold."

As Naruto's eyes bulged, Gai continued, "I am not telling you the cost of these weights to impress you or anything like that. I just want to ensure that you understand the amount of trust I am placing in you by allowing you to borrow these. The weight sets that we are using are family heirlooms of the Maito family and have been passed down through my family for many years. I am asking you to be very careful with them." Once Naruto had nodded his agreement, Gai handed him a package, one that Naruto accepted almost reverently. "Each weight is marked with a different seal indicating the multiple of gravity they will exert while worn. The set that I am handing you is marked with '5' and has five one pound weights for each limb. The other sets are 10, 15, 20, and so on. I think we will start you off with wearing all the five-pound weights…"

XXXXX

As he stumbled up the stairs of his apartment building, Naruto attempted to ignore the throbbing pains that radiated throughout his legs and lower back. His first full day wearing the weights had taken a large toll on his endurance and he was looking forward to sleep. Naruto opened his apartment door, swaying slightly before stumbling towards his bedroom and collapsing on the mattress within. He was asleep almost instantly.

XXXXX

Naruto's training had progressed a great deal in the two weeks since his graduation from the academy. While this milestone didn't hold any real importance, the day found him meeting with the Hokage once again. But instead of discussing letters or other things of import, Naruto had come to simply to ask for a more advanced chakra exercise in order to keep from getting bored. The Hokage suggested that these meetings should become a more regular occurrence, with Naruto being able to ask questions about what he was studying and the Hokage offering advice where he thought appropriate.

The Hokage was resuming his seat, having just finished explaining and demonstrating the tree climbing exercise, when, suddenly, the Hokage sighed heavily and began to rub his temples with his fingers as if to relieve a headache. Barely above a whisper, Naruto heard the old man mutter, "Not again." Before Naruto could ask what he meant, the door to the office flew open. Naruto turned around and was surprised to see a small boy, maybe eight or nine years old standing there. The kid certainly had an odd style of dress as he was wearing a weird helmet of some sort and a cape. 'Isn't he a bit old for a cape?'

The boy thrust a kunai towards the Hokage and yelled, "I've got you now, old man!" And with this battle cry, the kid charged the Sandaime, his kunai held at ready. But, before he got more than a few feet into the room, the kid actually managed to trip over his own feet and was sent tumbling to the floor.

Moments later, a man dressed in dark blue and wearing dark glasses rushed into the office. The man ran to the kid's side and helped pick him up, while inquiring, "Honorable Grandson, are you alright?"

The 'Honorable Grandson' rose to his feet, rubbing his nose, which he had apparently slammed into the floor. "Damn! I almost had him and then I would've become Hokage!"

This statement had barely left the kid's mouth before the gut began ranting about how he was a special trainer of Hokage candidates named Ebisu and how he was the only person who could bring out the boy's full potential. He went on to outline how only he could provide adequate guidance for the boy to become Hokage.

The Sandaime sighed heavily as he thought, 'Normally it wouldn't be a big deal, but this is Konohamaru's 9th attempt today…' The elderly Hokage decided to interrupt the man's diatribe before he really got started. "Ebisu-san, are you still having difficulties controlling your student?"

Before the 'Hokage trainer' could respond, the 'Honorable Grandson' spotted Naruto and exclaimed, "Hey! You were the one who tripped me!"

The kid ran up to Naruto and started to rant and complain about how Naruto had interfered with his ascension to the position of Hokage. The Sandaime smirked as he noticed that a vein began throbbing on Naruto's forehead. 'It is nice to see that I am not the only one…'

It only took a couple of moment before Naruto rose from his seat and picked up the brat by his shirt, bringing him to eye level. The kid fell silent as his feet left the ground. Before Naruto could say anything to the brat, Ebisu screamed, "Put down the Honorable Grandson! He is the grandson of Sandaime-sama!"

Naruto looked over at the 'Hokage Trainer' for a second before returning his gaze to the brat. He looked just like any kid, with the exception of the helmet and the cape. The kid must have taken his continued silence as hesitation, because he actually started to insult Naruto despite still being held off the ground. Once he called Naruto a coward for being scared of his grandfather, Naruto acted. With one motion, he set the brat on the ground and slammed his fist onto the brat's head.

Naruto spoke, "I don't care if you are the Hokage's grandson! I wouldn't care if you were the right hand of Kami! The next time you go blaming me for your own incompetence, you will get more of the same!"

The brat cringed at the throbbing pain radiating from the bump on his head. 'This guy… is different from the others.'

The glasses guy seemed to have finally caught up as he exclaimed, "You cannot strike the Honorable Grandson!"

'What is he talking about? I just did…' With a long-suffering sigh, Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking, "Please shut up. Your ranting and raving is beginning to give me a headache. Just out of curiosity, how many of your students have been named Hokage, oh great and powerful Hokage trainer? Or how many have even been promoted to chuunin or jounin? If you are going to brag about your accomplishments, please make sure you have something to brag about."

Naruto ignored the now sputtering jounin as he thanked the old man for his time and he left the Hokage's office. As he exited the building and began walking towards the training area, it became painfully obvious that the annoying brat was following him.

XXXXX

Naruto sat on a fallen tree as Konohamaru continued to practice his version of the Oiroke no jutsu. Naruto shook his head at how he had been roped into teaching the brat his technique.

The young genin had only traveled a couple of blocks away from the tower before he called out to brat. The brat abandoned his horrible attempt at camouflage and ran towards Naruto. Before he had even come to a halt, Konohamaru eagerly exclaimed, "My name is Konohamaru. You are Naruto, right? I overheard grandpa telling my uncle about how you defeated him with a single technique. I want you to teach me!"

It was all down hill from there. The brat's cries for attention coupled with his request to learn Oiroke no jutsu destroyed any reluctance that Naruto may have had about spending time with the brat. Naruto was shocked at how much he liked the idea of teaching someone else his only original technique. For one, he had invested quite a bit of time into the technique and its variant, which had proven to be quite valuable in recent weeks. The second reason is that it would be amusing for the brat to spring this technique on the annoying jounin he had met earlier. It also didn't hurt that the brat would be starting at the academy in a couple of weeks. 'Just because I don't have time to cause chaos and mayhem anymore doesn't mean that all my hard work should go to waste. It would really be a shame if Iruka-sensei's new students were quiet and boring.'

And so Naruto had spent the better part of the day teaching Konohamaru the basics of Oiroke no jutsu. Their travels through the commercial district in search of inspiration had been educational if rather painful. And when Konohamaru had problems visualizing the finer points of the technique, the two of them had been forced to procure some 'study materials' so that Konohamaru would have something to emulate.

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts his young student's approach. Konohamaru, panting heavily from his practice, sat heavily on the fallen tree and began to speak. "I am getting really close. Just a couple more times and I will finally be able to defeat grandpa and become Hokage. And when I become Hokage, everyone will have to acknowledge me! I will finally be known as Konohamaru and not 'Honorable Grandson'."

Naruto looked slightly startled at the statement. The brat had been spouting several variation of this statement often enough that it shouldn't have been a surprise, but this particular phrasing struck a cord with the blonde genin. 'When I become Hokage, everyone will have to acknowledge me … His motivation is so similar to my own… instead of being acknowledged, this kid simply wants to be recognized as his own person and not the old man's grandson.' As the brat continued to excitedly discuss of how much he wanted to be respected, Naruto couldn't help but realize how selfish such motives sounded after all the he had learned over the past couple of weeks. 'Are my reasons for becoming Hokage as shallow as his? Am I nothing more than a slightly older brat, wanting to prove himself?' Konohamaru, who had continued speaking, finally exclaimed, "And now I have to found the best shortcut to becoming Hokage!"

Naruto finally spoke after his long silence, "There are no short cuts."

Konohamaru looked over at him, startled by Naruto's statement. "What…?"

Naruto took a deep breath, knowing beforehand that this was going to be a long lecture. "The position of Hokage is an honor that few shinobi ever achieve. You are determined to obtain the position for the respect and acknowledgement that the title would bring you, but you are overlooking the reasons that the Hokage is so respected. The Hokage is the most powerful ninja in the village. Each of the previous Hokage has been an exceptional ninja of unparalleled strength. The Shodaime and Nidaime were so gifted in ninjutsu that people still marvel at their skills almost forty years after their deaths. The Yondaime is the reason Konoha won the war with Iwa and he defeated the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the tailed demons. Your grandfather has led Konoha for several decades and is nicknamed 'the Professor' for his vast knowledge of ninjutsu. It is said that he knows over 1000 techniques… Such achievements are not won overnight and are not achieved by someone looking for the easiest route."

"The Hokage is entrusted with the well being of the village. This means that a Hokage cannot petty or selfish. To be worthy of the position, a Hokage must be calm and wise. They must be unflappable and steadfast in times of trouble. They need to understand that their actions can mean the difference between life and death for everyone in the village. And even after they have achieved these virtues, they must be able to endure the stress of having such responsibility. Being Hokage is not about fun and games… it is a life of service… of protecting something greater than yourself. If you have any doubts about this statement, simply remember that all three of the previous Hokages have died protecting this village. There are no shortcuts."

Konohamaru looked down at his shoes, ashamed at his previous boasting. 'Naruto is right… Grandpa has been saying similar things for as long as I can remember… Have I really been so selfish? To want the title of Hokage for such petty reasons?'

Observing that his speech appeared to be having the desired effect, Naruto continued, "The only way you will ever be worthy of the title of Hokage is through hard work and dedication. So get back to your training… You will need all the training you can get because you will only become Hokage after you have defeated me for the title! And I don't plan on losing to someone who relies on shortcuts to achieve his goals!"

Konohamaru stared at him, but remained silent for a long moment. He then responded, "So you and I are rivals… One day… Only one of us will become Hokage!"

Naruto smiled at the boy as he punched him in the shoulder. "I wouldn't have it any other way… Konohamaru."

XXXXX

As Konohamaru resumed his practice, Naruto became lost in his thoughts once again. While he could put his finger on it, Naruto knew that Konohamaru's technique was not the true Oiroke no jutsu. While the visual effect was very similar, this similarity was merely superficial. 'What makes it different? Even after two weeks of chakra training I still can't execute a perfect Henge no jutsu. And he isn't using nearly the amount of chakra that I use for the technique. What is the difference?'

Meanwhile, Konohamaru continued to train. With each billow of smoke, he came closer to the desired effect. And with one final transformation, he did it. But before Naruto could congratulate the boy, a voice rang throughout the clearing. The annoying jounin arrived on the ground and exclaimed, "Honorable Grandson! I have finally found you. Now, we must return to the village and prevent you from being contaminated by this uncultured idiot!" The man had grabbed onto the Konohamaru's cape and began to pull him towards the village.

Konohamaru began to struggle and exclaimed, "Shut up! My name isn't Honorable Grandson! My name is Konohamaru! Konohamaru!"

"Please be reasonable, Honorable Grandson. You know that it is only through my guidance that you will find the shortcuts necessary to become Hokage!"

Konohamaru responded by yelling, "Shut up! There are no shortcuts! Take this! Oiroke no jutsu!"

Konohamaru quickly transformed into his perfected Oiroke no jutsu form. Unfortunately, the annoying jounin simply responded by screaming, "What kind of sick pervert do you take me for! I am above such an offensive and perverted jutsu!" The jounin rounded on Naruto, who had risen from the fallen tree, and pointed an accusing finger at the genin. "You have tainted him with your perversion! This is intolerable!"

Naruto retorted, "Didn't I tell you earlier to shut up? Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Over two dozen Kage Bunshins appeared around the small clearing. Ebisu simply smirked as he scoffed, "You may have defeated that pathetic chuunin with this technique, but I am a jounin! A jounin of the highest caliber! I have been entrusted by Hokage-sama himself to guide his only grandchild! I…"

Naruto cut the rambling jounin off before he could spew any more nonsense. "Shut up before I make you eat your words… on second thought… Harem no Jutsu!"

All the Kage Bunshins transformed into Naruto's Oiroke no jutsu form and began coo and pose in stereo. A few of them began to approach the jounin, but Ebisu suddenly went flying as he caught sight of a couple of the bunshins rubbing against each other.

Konohamaru simply stared at his unconscious sensei for a moment before he turned to Naruto and spoke, "Wow… You are definitely worthy enough to be my rival! I need to continue training! I'll see you later, Naruto-nii-san!" With these words, Konohamaru sprinted back towards the village. Naruto stared after the boy for a moment before shaking his head and exiting the clearing in direction of Hokage Tower.

XXXXX

It was the end of the day, but Naruto had made a special effort to catch the Hokage before he went home for the evening. An odd question had occurred to him as he was training with Konohamaru and Naruto wanted an answer. After he declined the Hokage's offer of tea, Naruto sat down and asked, "Why didn't the council appoint a guardian for Sasuke? As far as I can tell, he is in the exact same situation that I would have been in."

The Hokage looked a bit startled at the topic, but answered anyway, "Well, the short answer is because Uchiha Itachi is Sasuke's guardian, despite his missing nin status. He is also the head of the Uchiha Clan, if you want to be technical."

Given that Naruto had been researching the Kazamas and the other senior clans during his time in the library, Naruto knew exactly who that was. But this knowledge only served to increase his confusion. "How is that even possible? That doesn't make any sense."

The old man gave Naruto a weak smile before he continued, "The Hokage and the council do not have the ability to interfere with the succession of the senior clans. That is the reason that Uchiha Itachi remains leader of the Uchiha Clan despite his missing nin status. When the Hokage system was first instituted, the senior clans took a number of steps to prevent the council and the Hokage from interfering in clan politics. Even though he is a wanted criminal and the ANBU have orders to terminate him if possible, Itachi is still technically and legally the leader of one of Konoha's senior clans. Only the clans themselves can alter their lines of succession. Nominally, the adults of a clan can remove a clan head through the casting of secret ballots. But since Sasuke is not an adult and there are no other Uchihas, the situation is at a deadlock. There was some movement to alter the laws after the massacre, but the Hyuuga Clan blocked these proposals."

Naruto was attempting to process the rather peculiar information he had just learned as he absently asked, "Why would they block something like that?"

"There were probably several reasons. There has always been a great deal of tension between the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuuga Clan. It is even said that the Uchiha Clan broke away from the Hyuuga Clan sometime in the distant past. Given this animosity, it would not be out of character for the Hyuuga to sit back and allow the Uchihas to suffer. I know for a fact that some Hyuuga clan members enjoy seeing the Uchiha Clan's commercial pursuits fall apart from lack of management."

"Another reason is that the Hyuuga Clan is very protective of their clan's rights. They are determined to prevent outsiders from having a voice in their own internal politics. They probably felt that the council's interference in the Uchiha Clan would set a dangerous precedent. While other clans, including my own are represented on the council, the Hyuuga Clan is probably the most political of the ninja clans."

The Hokage sighed heavily as the discussion drifted towards the reason for many of the headaches he had suffered in recent years. "The reason that the Hyuuga Clan is able to exert such influence is due to the nature of the council's structure. The representatives of the senior clans are largely able to control the council's actions. Of the five founding clans, three are unable or unwilling to place representatives on the council. And the Sarutobi Clan is unable to vote due to my position as the Hokage. By being the sole clan able to veto council actions, the Hyuuga have gained a great deal of influence since the Uchiha Massacre."

A/N

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	6. Chapter 6

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 06: The Bet

Nearing the end of his final lap around the village, Naruto found himself mentally reviewed the past couple of weeks. As his training regimen had steadily increased in intensity, the young shinobi had begun to push himself to his limits, arriving home each night utterly exhausted. Despite the mental and physical effort required to maintain his schedule, the blonde genin continued to push forward as he had noticed a marked improvement in his knowledge and abilities since graduation. As Naruto reentered the training grounds, he mentally concluded, 'And that is all the encouragement I need to keep going.'

"Excellent, Naruto!!!" the relatively calm Gai-sensei said. "Now that we have toughened you up a bit, we are going to start on sharpening your taijutsu skills. We are going to test your youthfulness over the next couple of weeks, but it is a necessary step if you're going to stand any chance in an extended fight."

Still somewhat unclear on the concept of 'youthfulness', Naruto ignored that part of the conversation and asked, "So, where do we start?"

The jounin once again flashed Naruto a broad smile of bright, unnaturally white teeth, as he responded, "Sparring."

Minutes later, Naruto found himself reeling from a punch, fighting to regain his equilibrium. The blonde genin managed to regain his balance and to avoid Lee's follow-up jab. Leaping backwards to gain some separation, Naruto prepared to continue the fight by settling into a ready stance. For a brief moment, both genin stood as if frozen in place. Then Lee suddenly leapt forward, shifted his weight, and delivered a brutal round-kick into Naruto's stomach. The air escaped Naruto's lungs with a dull 'humph' as he was sent flying through the air. He landed haphazardly some distance away before skidding to a halt. Scrambling to his feet once again, Naruto found that Lee was already closing the distance between them. What followed was a rapid-fire exchange of punches and kicks that resulted in Naruto sporting a large number of bruises.

Gai calmly observed the match from off to the side with an almost imperceptible frown. 'Well, this is… not good.' The reason for this conclusion was that Gai could not discern any formal style from Naruto's taijutsu, not even the rudimentary forms taught at the Academy. While he could throw a punch and snap a kick, the movements didn't show any continuality or fluidity. Where Lee's movements flowed seamlessly from a punch into a kick, from offence to defense, Naruto appeared to be making it up as he was going along.

Gai sighed as he began planning out the steps that would be necessary to correct these problems. The first thing to do would be to correct and polish the forms of Naruto's punches and kicks. Naruto also needed to become aware of the other possible strikes and blocks available to a taijutsu user. He figured that he could also teach Naruto some basic katas to run through on his own time so that the morning sessions would be available for practical application.

XXXXX

As the end of the training session approached, Naruto was tired, battered, and bruised. Today had been the most brutal of the training session so far. Despite his odd appearance, Rock Lee was a far more formidable opponent than Naruto had thought possible. He had proven this fact by beating Naruto senseless with very little effort. Naruto had been unable to land a single blow on green clad genin, as every time Naruto had tried to hit Lee, he had blocked, dodged, or diverted the strike. The sparing match was reminiscent of the effortless beating he had received from Kakashi-sensei during the bell test. 'At least Lee wasn't able to read certain orange books during the match.' Naruto shuddered at the mental image.

Gai-sensei approached the area where Naruto was resting and asked, "So Naruto, how do you think you performed against Lee this morning?"

Naruto, shaking his head disgustedly, responded, "I was pathetic. I could not even hit him." He usually didn't sound so dejected or pessimistic, but in this case it was the truth. Lee had humiliated him throughout their match with absolutely no visible effort.

"Naruto…" The disappointment in Gai-sensei's voice was palpable. "Don't let this minor set back extinguish your fires of youth. How long have you been training with us?"

Naruto glanced towards the unusually solemn jounin and answered, "A little over two weeks..."

"Would you say that your physical condition and coordination have improved during that time?" Naruto nodded, having an idea where Gai-sensei was going with his questioning.

"Lee has been training with me for over a year. Strength training, speed training, sparring… during that time, his youthfulness has caused him to throw himself into his training, sometimes going so far as to endanger his health. Did you really expect to be his match in taijutsu without exerting equal effort?" Naruto shook his head, feeling chastised for having let his ego get the better of him.

"Just as youthful training has improved you physical condition, youthful training will improve your taijutsu skills. Few chuunin could hold their own against Lee in taijutsu, let alone have a hope of matching his endurance. You have been sparing with him for well over an hour straight this morning. While you are discouraged that you have not been able to defeat him, it has not been without value. It has been quite a while since Lee has been pushed as hard as he was during your sparing match. As your skills continue to improve, both of you will benefit immensely from this training. We still have a couple of minutes left so let's get started!!!"

As Gai bounced away, Naruto looked across the clearing. Lee was once again pounding away at a training post. The sharp crack of the blows and the visible debris flying off the post still shocked him even after the two weeks he had spent training with the green duo. Naruto shook his head as he rose to his feet to follow Gai, still slightly discouraged by the morning's events.

XXXXX

Team Seven was completing their D ranked missions far more quickly than the other genin teams. While some of the tasks were designed to take most of a day or even several days, these assignments were being completed in a couple of hours. This feat was not accomplished through excellent teamwork or organization, but through good, old-fashioned manpower. Thanks to Naruto, Team Seven had more manpower at their disposal than all the other genin squads combined. Whether painting a house, preparing fields for planting, or landscaping a city park, missions that should have taken a genin team several days to complete quickly fell before the might Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

The other members of Team Seven were not overly concerned about the uneven distribution of the work. Kakashi didn't care as long as the mission was accomplished. Sasuke and Sakura didn't complain as it meant that far less work for them. For Sakura, it meant that she didn't have to get dirty and that she was able to devote more of her time to watching Sasuke. Sasuke was actually grateful that he didn't have to waste all his time painting a house or on some other inane task and could concentrate on his training. Despite this view, the closest Sasuke ever came to thanking Naruto was saying, "I guess you are not totally useless after all, dobe."

XXXXX

Naruto was almost twenty feet up the side of his tree before he felt himself losing traction once again. With a desperate slash, Naruto marked his progress and attempted to right himself before he made it to the ground. A dull thump audible throughout the empty clearing communicated that he had been unsuccessful. As the young genin found himself lying on his back once again, Naruto considered using Kage Bunshin to accelerate his training. This thought had barely crossed his mind before he scolded himself for trying to take the easy way out. The Hokage had specifically said that this exercise would be far more beneficial if he learned it without using Kage Bunshin.

But the exercise was proving to be very tedious. Naruto simply had to look towards the countless slashes that had been cut into the tree's bark to realize exactly how slow his progress had been. What made matters worse was that the weights were making it difficult for him to land on his feet when he fell. 'Well, Gai-sensei is always spouting off about 'No Pain, No Gain'.' With a stifled groan, Naruto climbed to his feet and resumed his practice.

XXXXX

Yamanaka Ino was used to getting things her way. Whether it was the fact that she was an only child and her parents tended to spoil her or that, due to her assertive personality, people generally listened to her; she was use to it. But since graduating, she seemed to have lost all control over her life. First, 'Forehead' had stolen her Sasuke-kun and been assigned to his team. Next, she had been stuck on a team with Shikamaru and Chouji. While she got along fine with the lazy duo, they were largely immune to the forms of persuasion, i.e. threats of substantial bodily harm, she usually employed to ensure that others listened to her. The combination of these two events resulted in the young kunoichi being depressed about her situation, as she wasn't with Sasuke-kun and she was unable to distract herself with intense training as she was teamed with the laziest boys in the class.

She had been telling this to her mom once again, when her mother had the nerve to interrupt and send her into the forest on an errand. 'Please look for some healthy samples of the seasonal wild flowers. We may be able to expand our hybrid selection for later in the season if we act quickly. I mean could she be any more vague?' Ino sighed heavily. 'She probably just wanted me out of her hair for awhile.'

So the young kunoichi was currently wondering the forest, in search of a pointless objective. Currently skirting the edge of a clearing, lost in her thoughts and ignoring the world around her, Ino was startled by a body falling out of the tree she had been about to pass. A quick analysis of the situation concluded that she wasn't in any immediate danger as the person was lying on their back, cursing the tree they had fallen out of.

The blonde girl took a deep breath to calm her nerves before taking a closer look at the person that had startled her. When she was finally able to get a good look at him, she found a teenaged boy with spiky blonde hair wearing dark green pants and a matching jacket. A black shirt and a hitai-ate secured with a band of black cloth accompanied these clothes. While the blonde hair should have been enough to confirm the person's identity, she waited until she observed the unique whisker like birthmarks on his cheeks before she asked, "Naruto?"

If she'd be honest with herself, she almost didn't recognize him. It had been years since she'd seen him without that hideous orange jumpsuit. He'd been wearing it for so long that it almost didn't occur to her that he could wear something else. The fact that he'd changed his attire confused her a bit, but she had to admit that it made him seem a little more attractive… appearance-wise at least. Speaking of which, his attire looked very familiar…

Naruto, having recovered from his fall, rose to his feet and began to scratch the back of his head. 'Of all the people that could have stumbled across me in the middle of the forest, it just had to be her.' Marking it up to bad luck, Naruto offered, "Hey, Ino. What are you doing out here?"

Ignoring his question, Ino inquired, "You know those clothes you are wearing look familiar… Where did you get them?" Slightly nervous at the question, Naruto began to fidget under Ino's inquiring gaze while responding, "What do you mean? I got them at the store. Where else would I get them?" As Ino continued to stare at Naruto, her mind began to make some connections. The same skin tone, the same hair color, the clothes… She was about to ask if he was Hiker's brother, despite the girl having identified a different name and class when the final piece of information fell into place. She remembered the abomination of a jutsu that Naruto had used in front of the academy class just before graduation. She had been one of the main advocates for "explaining" to him why you should not display perverted tendencies in front of a room full of kunoichi. 'With a few alterations, he would have looked exactly like Hiker.'

Satisfied with her conclusion, Ino intoned condescendingly, "I knew you were a pervert, but now you have become a cross-dressing freak. Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower, you go and do so."

Confused by the abrupt shift in Ino's tone and the topic of conversation, Naruto stuttered briefly as he responded, "W… W… What the hell are you talking about? I am not a pervert or a cross-dressing freak!!!"

"Then why were you walking around dressed up as a girl a couple of weeks ago?" The condescending tone she was using was beginning to grate on the young shinobi's nerves, as he exclaimed, "I just did that so I could buy the clothes without any problems! It is not like I enjoy walking around, looking like a girl!"

Ino was clearly unimpressed by his explanation, as she continued, "You know, it would be easier for you to just admit that you are a cross-dressing freak than to keep on denying it. Your actions speak for themselves."

Naruto, incensed at her statement and her casual dismissal of his explanation, hotly declared that, given the choice, he would rather be a cross-dressing freak then yet another air-headed, Uchiha-obsessed fan girl. He continued his tirade by pointing out how she most likely is the same as Sakura, concentrating more on her hair and whether her outfit was properly coordinated, than about the realities of being a ninja.

Ino would tolerate a number of things, but being compared for 'Forehead Girl' was not one of them. "Hey, just because I am a girl doesn't mean I am like her. I take being a ninja seriously; it is my primary goal in life! Everything else comes after it!"

Naruto quickly retorted, "It didn't seem that way at the academy. I recall you declaring for all to hear that you would win 'Sasuke-kun's' heart no matter the cost. In all honesty, I don't understand why all you girls so hung-up on that guy. I mean, he has the communication skills of turnip and the personality of a doorknob. He walks around all day brooding and fantasizing about killing people." Sniffing disdainfully, Naruto concluded, "Not exactly quality boyfriend material, if you ask me." Internally, the part of Naruto's mind that often play the role of the devil's advocate offered, 'And how would you know what would be 'quality boyfriend material'? Why would you even want to know?' After a moment of mental silence, the advocate concluded, 'On second thought, don't answer that… I may not like the answer.'

Ino's countenance immediately turned maniacal as she glared at the boy. "He is the best ninja in our class! He's strong, handsome, and he's an Uchiha!" Naruto, not really wanting to debate how 'strong and handsome' Sasuke-teme was, decided to attack her last reason. As he began to respond, Naruto realized that he was beginning to enjoy antagonizing this girl. Maybe it was just his thirst for attention, but there was something almost hypnotic about the way her eyes flashed while she was arguing. "Oh, because he's an Uchiha, huh? Is it because he is the last one and you are interested in starting some sort of weird collection? What if he wasn't one of a kind or even an Uchiha, would you still feel the same way about him?" Before she could respond, Naruto continued, "You know, with you being so pushy and obsessive, it is no wonder you don't have a boyfriend. In fact, doesn't Sasuke-teme run in the other direction whenever you look his way?"

Ino's eyes widened in shock for a moment before her features settled into an unpleasant smirk. When she responded, her voice had regained the cool condescending tone that she had been using earlier. "Like you are one to talk. Sakura has been pounding you into the dirt for years and yet you still seem to follow 'Forehead Girl' around like a lost puppy. It would be amusing if it wasn't so pathetic." Not really wanting to get into this topic, Naruto abruptly turned away from the girl and picked up his fallen kunai as he responded, "Things change."

Sneering slightly, Ino retorted, "Oh, like what? Have you given up all pretences and decided to have your lips surgically attached to her ass?" After a slight pause, Naruto responded, his tone quite subdued compared to what it had been only moments ago, "It was explained to me that true love is having someone who knows all your strengths and weaknesses, who has seen into the depths of your soul and is still willing to accept you. Somehow, I do not see that type of thing evolving with Sakura while she is obsessed with the great Sasuke-teme."

Taken back by the insightful, heartfelt statement, Ino fell silent, not even defending Sasuke from Naruto's latest jab. After a moment of silence, Naruto decided to return to his original reason for being in the woods. Turning back to the girl, Naruto said, "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to return to my training. If you could run on home, I would appreciate it." Irritated at having been dismissed in such a casual manner, Ino responded hotly, "I can do as I please. You do not own the forest."

"Fine, but do whatever it is you were doing somewhere else. But you may want to go back to primping your hair or whatever other inane tasks you devote your free time towards. It would, after all, be a real shame to lose the great Sasuke-teme's attentions to Sakura because you had a hair out of place."

Ino reacted to the statement immediately as she didn't like being mocked or, once again, being compared to Forehead Girl. "Hey, I just said that I take my ninja career seriously! I am ten times the ninja that you will ever be! As a matter of fact, I bet that I can complete whatever training you are attempting before you can!"

Naruto's competitive nature and his desire to put this stuck up fan girl in her place seemed to override his common sense. "Really? You seem fairly certain of that. What are the terms?"

It only took Ino a moment to think of an appropriate punishment for Naruto's disrespectful attitude towards her Sasuke-kun. "If I win then you have to refer to Sasuke-kun as Sasuke-sama for the next month."

Naruto mentally grimaced at the prospect of acting respectful towards the emo-teme. His reluctance must have shown on his face, as Ino's expression had transformed into the most patronizing expression that Naruto had ever witnessed. 'It is as if she expects me to give up and surrender…' Naruto's pride and competitive nature flared once again as his mind flailed about for a possible reward for when he won the bet. It was a long moment before the silent gurgling of his stomach gave him a satisfactory idea. "Fine, but if I win then you have to pay for my dinner." Ino brushed off this declaration with a condescending smile, assured that she could beat the lowest ranked ninja in their class. "Fine." This look was replaced by a shocked expression by the time Naruto finished summarizing the exercise he was working on.

Turning back to his tree and confident of his victory, Naruto taunted, "I hope you have been saving your allowance, because you are going to need it."

XXXXX

Naruto's sparring sessions with Gai-sensei and Lee seemed to have evolved into a philosophical study of taijutsu. While not constant, Gai-sensei had begun to quote applicable axioms or make odd observations whenever Naruto made a mistake.

For instance, after a match where Lee had picked Naruto's guard apart, Gai said, "Sometimes it is better to chip away at an enemy's defenses rather than attempt to overwhelm them in one great offensive. You can strike at him repeatedly and, perhaps, goad him to making a mistake that will hand you the advantage."

After a different sparring match, where Lee had dodged every punch and kick Naruto could throw at him, Gai had offered, "It is not always necessary that you be stronger or tougher than your foe as speed grants you a measure of invulnerability. Avoiding an enemy's attacks allows you to bide your time and await your opportunity. An enemy who cannot touch you can not hurt you."

Even when Naruto tripped over an exposed tree root after Lee had driven him into the woods surrounding the training grounds, Gai had calmly intoned, "Always be aware of your surroundings and the location of your opponent. You need to be aware at all times to avoid being cornered or stumbling at an inopportune moment."

XXXXX

Naruto had arrived at the old man's office shortly after his team had completed their most recent mission. 'Stupid cat…' The energetic genin found the old man sorting through some random paperwork, looking extraordinarily bored. "Are you busy right now?" The Hokage looked up and, smiling at his guest, responded, "No. I was actually looking for an excuse to take a break. Come on in." After the blonde shinobi settled himself in his normal chair, the old man asked, "So, what brings you by?"

"Do you have another chakra exercise I can practice while waiting for Kakashi-sensei? I have been practicing the tree climbing exercise in the evening, but I wanted one that was a little more… discreet for practice."

After a moment of thought, the Hokage began to explain the concepts involved in chakra strings. After providing a rather thorough explanation and answering a couple of questions, the Sandaime inquired, "Naruto, how much do you know about the principles involved in running a business?"

Looking a bit confused at the Hokage's odd choice of topics, Naruto responded, "Ano… Not much. I have been spending most of my time studying the academy topics listed on Iruka-sensei's outline."

The Hokage waved his hand dismissively as he reached for some tobacco to refill his pipe. "Don't worry about it, Naruto. I just needed to know where I should start this discussion. As you know, you are the heir to one of the senior clans of Konoha. While this entails inheriting a strong tradition in the ninja arts, it also carries a great number of other responsibilities. Among them is the management of your clan's financial resources."

Naruto replied, "I don't really understand. I know that my father's letter mentioned a house, but I haven't thought much about it. That's nice and all, but it doesn't sound like a fortune or anything."

"True," replied Sarutobi, "but that is just one facet of your family's wealth. I may have mentioned before that your status as the Kazama heir would enable you to exercise substantial financial influence. Before your father passed away, the Kazama Clan held full or partial ownership of several large businesses throughout Fire Country. At your father's request, I liquidated most of the family's commercial holdings and converted them into more stable and liquid assets. To ensure both the protection and growth of these assets, they were deposited with Konoha Bank. As your family's wealth was quite substantial and this institution is a very stable investment itself, I also directed the Kazama Trust to acquire a large position in the bank's equity. The Trust now owns approximately forty percent of the bank in addition to being one of its largest depositors. In addition to the bank and some other minor commercial holdings, the Trust continues to maintain ownership of several buildings and pieces of land scattered throughout the village and its surroundings. While not the wealthiest family in Fire Country, the Kazama Clan is easily among the top ten. In Konoha itself, only the Hyuuga and Uchiha Clans are comparable." Naruto simply stared at the Hokage dumbfounded by this news.

After allowing Naruto a couple of minutes to absorb these facts, Sarutobi continued, "The point of this discussion is that you will have a number of responsibilities to attend to once you claim your heritage. There are few decisions that need to be made on a daily basis, given the clan's current holdings, but you need to be able to understand the intricacies of business in order to make informed decisions regarding your inheritance. This is an important aspect of reestablishing your clan. Perhaps you should expand your studies to this area once you have a solid grasp of your other topics."

XXXXX

However much Ino wanted to deny it, she had progressed further in the last four days than she had in her last six months at the academy. Even if her primary motivation had been to defeat the blonde baka currently walking beside her, she could not deny the results. It had been awhile since she had pushed herself as hard as she had over the past couple of days. While she had not managed to completely master the exercise, she had improved a great deal.

With team training in the morning and missions to complete until late afternoon, she would often already be tired when she arrived in the clearing. But on all four days, Naruto had already been hard at work when she arrived, making slow and steady progress up his tree. Looking over at the blonde walking beside her, she really couldn't fathom how he could do it. While she would be exhausted after about an hour and a half, Naruto just continued training. During one of his breaks, she asked him when he actually went home and got something to eat. His response of 'between eight and nine' had completely floored her. 'How is he able to put in at least four to five hours of practice in addition to his other responsibilities and not simply pass out from exhaustion?' Given his stubbornness and his seemingly limitless stamina, it was little wonder that he managed to complete the exercise before her.

And so the time had come to make good on their bet. Naruto, smiling confidently and walking with a bounce in his step, was now leading them to the restaurant of his choice for his dinner. She was a bit surprised when he led them to a small but well maintained ramen stand. 'Perhaps this won't be as expensive as I feared.'

After sitting in his favorite seat and greeting both Teuchi and Ayame, Naruto inquired, "So Ino, what are you going to have?"

Ino glanced over the stand's various offerings before responding, "I think I am just going to have a glass of water." Upset at the perceived snub of his favorite restaurant, Naruto responded, "Why? Is this place not up to your standards? Or is it that you don't want to be seen eating with the 'class dobe'?" Ino rolled her eyes at the comment. Over the past couple of days he had made several similar statements. 'Self depreciation was one thing, but this guy seems to have some serious self-esteem issues.' With a long-suffering tone, Ino responded, "No, Naruto. It's just that I am on a diet."

Somewhat mollified, but now looking at the girl as if she had just grown an extra head, Naruto responded, "Why?" Ino mentally counted to three before responding. It wouldn't due to snap at the baka before she outlined the plan she had been considering since he had won their bet. Thus Ino calmly answered, "I am just trying to lose a couple of pounds. Unlike you, I need to watch my figure."

"Why? There is nothing wrong with it. Your diet is probably why you get tired so easily. You just don't have enough food to sustain your efforts." Just when she had decided to ignore his comment about her figure and make a snide remark about his freakish stamina, her stomach let out a rather loud and embarrassing grumble. Naruto's face took on a satisfied smirk as if he had just been vindicated. Instead of continuing the pointless argument or cursing her stomach for betraying her, Ino bowed to the inevitable, turned to the silent ramen cook, and placed an order, "Please bring me a bowl of vegetable ramen."

Naruto smiled broadly at her surrender and yelled, "Alright!!! Old man, bring me six bowls of your finest miso pork ramen."

'Six bowls!!! Maybe he is trying to bankrupt me.'

Teuchi began to prepare the orders as he responded, "Starting out light today or are you on a diet too? Please don't tell me that my Number One Customer has started to pay attention to his 'girlish figure'." Ino only picked up on the first part of the statement, her mouth agape in shock. 'Starting out light?' Ino sullenly concluded that this meal was going to set her back far more than she had anticipated a couple of minutes ago.

"Nah, I am just pacing myself. Ino here is picking up the tab and I plan to enjoy it." Sobering at the statement, Teuchi paused in his preparations and leaned closer to his Number One Customer. "You know, Naruto, it is traditional for the guy to pay for the lady when they are dating, not the other way around."

After sputtering for a second, Naruto exclaimed, "This is not a date!!! I wouldn't date this air-headed, Uchiha-obsessed fan girl if my life depended on it. She…"

Upon hearing a battle cry of "BAKA!!!", Naruto found that his head suddenly accelerated forward and impacted the counter with a rather loud crack.

Seething in her seat, Ino began eating a couple moments later as her food was delivered. As she did, Ino seriously considered abandoning her earlier plans after Naruto's statement. However, in the end, Ino decided to discuss the matter with the baka… despite her misgivings. Vaguely aware that she was eating faster than she ought to, Ino quickly finished her ramen and leaned back in her chair. She sighed contentedly, despite the dull aches and pains that appeared to be running throughout her body. She was surprised that the ramen had actually hit the spot, as she had been quite hungry. 'Maybe I should listen to mom and lighten up on the diet. I mean I have been pushing myself quite hard recently.' Ino absently messaged her sore thigh muscles, as she contemplated how to begin her discussion with Naruto.

With a resigned sigh, Ino decided to start at the beginning. Once she was able to draw Naruto's attention away from his ramen, she began by explaining that, unlike most ninja, she didn't have the luxury of having energetic teammates. Shikamaru and Chouji, while good at teamwork exercises, were very lazy when it came to actual training. In addition, she explained that her jounin instructor seemed to be content to sit around and play shoji with Shikamaru most of the time. Furthermore, her father, despite being a jounin himself, was often busy with or recovering from high-ranking missions, so he was not available to train with as often as she would like.

"So I decided that if I want to become stronger, I am going to have to take the initiative. If my teammates are unwilling to assist me, then I should try and find help where I can. That is why I would like to continue training together, if that is acceptable to you. I am sure that you would benefit from having someone to train with as well." Having said her piece, Ino fell silent and shifted her gaze to the counter in front of her. Feeling oddly exposed, as she was not used to asking for help, Ino bit her lower lip as she waited for him to respond.

As he finished his most recent bowl of ramen, Naruto reflected on what Ino had said. Her training problems seemed to mirror his own difficulties. Instead of being too lazy, his teammates were too stuck up to train with him. He had a conceited bastard on one hand and a whiny Uchiha fan girl on the other. Despite his requests to train together, neither of them thought it was worth their time. While he was able to train with Gai-sensei and Lee, Gai-sensei had warned him that his team would be accepting more C ranked missions over the coming months and that the two would be unable to train with him every morning.

Although he would never admit it out loud, Naruto had begun to admire Ino. The last couple of days had demonstrated that she was nearly as stubborn and determined as he was. And despite the hard work and numerous bruises she had obtained from practicing the tree climbing exercise, she had not complained once. 'Kami, why couldn't I have her on my team instead of Sakura? While I would still have to deal with an Uchiha fan girl, at least I would not have to listen to Sakura whine and complain all day.'

In a dark corner of Naruto's mind, he also admitted that he would agree if for no other reason than for the company. An unintended side affect of the constant use of Kage Bunshin was that Naruto remembered everything the Bunshins did while they were in existence. While it had been only about three weeks since he had start using the technique, Naruto estimated that it had been almost nine months for him mentally. The vast majority of that time had been spent quietly studying in the library surrounded by other Kage Bunshins, not exactly the most social of environments. The only real social interaction he had was his regular visits to Ichiraku's and his occasional discussions with Iruka and old man Hokage. He was beginning to become accustomed to Gai-sensei and Lee, but taijutsu matches were not the best time to strike up a conversation. Naruto snorted as he thought about his interactions with his own team. 'Some team… If it wasn't for mutual insults, Sakura's unending pleas for a date, and Sasuke's countless rejections, we wouldn't even communicate.'

Naruto ended up agreeing to continue training with Ino, as having someone else to train with would help the time to pass more swiftly. The rest of the meal passed rather pleasantly, with Ino doing most of the talking as Naruto was busy demolishing bowl after bowl of ramen. Ino watched the stack of bowls grow with a combination of financial horror, nutritional disgust, and morbid fascination. 'He has eaten nearly twice as much as Chouji… Where does he put it all?'

As Ino paid for the meal and made to go home, she intoned. "Good night, Naruto." Naruto responded in kind and he made his way towards his apartment. On the surface, there was nothing really unusual about the meal, but Naruto felt that something had happened… something important. But for some reason, his mind couldn't quite grasp it. It wasn't until he was nearly asleep that it finally dawned on him what had been strange about that conversation.

It was the first time that someone had actually asked to be in his company. While he had spent quite a bit of time with other people over the years, there had always been an underlying obligation. The academy, Ichiraku's, his team… Even his recent meetings with the Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Gai-sensei, and Lee usually came down to accidentally running into each other or him seeking their company. But, in this case, Ino actually had a choice as to how she could spend her time. She could have continued to try and convince her teammates to train with her or even train by herself. But she had asked him… nicely even. And with that humbling thought, Naruto drifted off to sleep.

XXXXX

In the weeks that followed their dinner, Ino and Naruto found themselves spending quite a bit of time together in the forest clearing, practicing chakra control and other aspects of their chosen occupation. While they continued to trade barbs back and forth during their sparing matches, they didn't regain the heated nature of their first encounter.

Ino was a bit surprised that they often ended up talking during their training sessions. Whether if it was for a couple of minutes as they caught their breath or for longer if they happened upon an interesting topic, they would talk. The most amazing thing to Ino was that Naruto turned out to be a really good listener. He never interrupted her and he actually paid attention, even to the seemingly pointless things she told him about her life. This level of attention was something that she had rarely experienced, as she was usually told to be quiet and to quit being so 'troublesome'. It was… refreshing.

Occasionally, Ino would feel a wave of shame flow through her as she remembered the way she used to treat blonde shinobi. During their time at the academy, she had often joined in disparaging Naruto and berating him for his actions. Now she realized that he wasn't that bad… once you got to know him. She felt an urge to apologize to him, but didn't, as she felt that actions spoke louder than words. 'If I have not been kind to him in the past, than I will simply treat him better in the future.'

During this time, Ino noticed that Naruto had taken to adding the suffix, –chan, to her name. Initially, Ino had feared that Naruto had transferred his obsession with her one time friend/current rival to herself. She worried that her rejection of his advances would bring an end to the sparing sessions and the easy friendship they had begun to develop. But the endless requests for dates or the constant cries for attention never surfaced. After several days of thought, Ino concluded that Naruto had given her that designation simply as a sign of affection… perhaps not of romantic affection, but affection none-the-less.

This conclusion caused her to feel a number of odd emotions. On one hand, she was content that, even if Naruto was unaware of it, he shared her belief that they were growing to be friends. On the second hand, she was relieved that she would not have to reject his advances. And finally, on the figurative third hand that Ino herself wasn't willing to admit to having, she found herself feeling slightly disappointed. Even though she did not have any romantic feelings towards Naruto; the fact that he did not feel any towards her stung a bit. 'I mean, he followed Sakura around for years with little encouragement. Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent far more time with him than she ever did. Why am I not considered worthy of the same attention?' Ino consciously tried to amputate the phantom appendage by asserting that she shouldn't care about what Naruto thought because of her undying love for Sasuke-kun. However, this feeling of disappointment seemed to remain, even if it was unacknowledged, in the corners of her consciousness.

XXXXX

Team Seven's morning was evolving as many others had before it. Two of the team's members were waiting impatiently for their sensei to arrive while intermittently watching the antics of the team's final member. Today, the genin's activities seemed to be more varied than usual, hence the intermittent attention of his two teammates. After completing his usual meditation for the first fifteen minutes, the blonde member of Team Seven had decided to begin his day with twenty-five laps around the training area. This exercise would hardly be worth mentioning except that the genin had completed the exercise by slowly walking around on his hands. He fell over three times, much to the amusement of one of his teammates, but he eventually got back up and continued his laps. Next the genin had spent about twenty minutes executing an elaborate gymnastics routine with no apparent pattern. Flips, followed by spins, followed by rolls, followed by more flips… One move after another with no way of predicting what would be next. After this display, the hyperactive genin decided to sit in a tree and practice a chakra exercise with his trusty rubber ball. This particular exercise involved him dropping the ball from his place in the tree and attempting to catch it with a chakra string before it hit the ground. He had been practicing various chakra string exercises for most of the week.

"Why does he keep practicing such basic chakra exercises? I can perform all of them in my sleep. It is almost embarrassing to watch…" Sakura had barely finished verbalizing her analysis of Naruto's exercises when someone else decided to make an observation. "Well considering that you probably have about 1/100th of the Naruto's chakra reserves, I don't think that your accomplishment is anything to brag about."

Sakura spun around quickly, a shocked expression on her face and a hand clutched to her chest. She found her sensei standing calmly a few feet away, his standard orange book remarkably absent. "DON'T DO THAT!!!"

Kakashi ignored the kunoichi's exclamation and stated, "I am a bit disappointed in you, Sakura." The jounin's gaze shifted towards Sasuke for a moment, as he continued, "In both of you actually… For several weeks now, the two of you have sat here each morning, essentially motionless, for hours on end. You could have spent your time reading, exercising, sparring, discussing team tactics, or performing countless other activities. But instead of being productive, you have decided to spend your time degrading one of your team members…, who just happens to be the only one of you to use this time to sharpen their skills. Such initiative in a teammate should not be mocked, as it may save your life one day."

Sasuke scowled at the reprimand but remained silent as Sakura, coloring lightly at the implication that she was being lazy, pointed out, "But you didn't tell us to do anything."

Kakashi evaluated the kunoichi for a second before he responded, "I am your jounin-sensei, not your babysitter. I am not here to hold your hand and supervise your every action. I am here to provide guidance and assistance, if requested. A ninja is expected to demonstrate a certain amount of initiative, as there is little to be gained in forcing others to train against their will." Without waiting for their reaction to his speech, Kakashi set off to gather the third member of his team.

XXXXX

Taijutsu seemed to be the primary focus of their recent training sessions. Despite his training with Gai and Lee on the mornings the duo was available, Naruto still needed to work on his form and gain experience. Naruto had noted that sparring with Ino was proving to be totally different than sparring with Lee. Where Lee's style relied on strength and speed to pummel his opponents, Ino appeared to focus on flexibility and critical hits to slowly disable her foes. She almost appeared to dance around his attacks, occasionally offering a weak counter attack, but mostly she simply waited for an opportunity to strike. And strike she did. If he overextended his stance, she would perform a leg sweep or attack his knee in hopes of hobbling him. If his guard appeared weak, she would capitalize by attacking his torso or shoulder or by simply attempting to remove his head from his body. The dichotomy between his two opponents and the paths to victory kept the matches interesting.

Today's sparing match was progressing as most of the others before it; meaning that Ino was dancing around the young shinobi, pummeling him at will. After one particularly well-executed combo, Naruto found himself sprawled on the ground, slightly dazed. Before he could comprehend exactly what was happening, Naruto face down on the ground, securely bound with several strands of ninja wire. Some quick experimentation demonstrated that his range of movement was limited wiggling around like a worm as his arms were firmly pinned to behind his back and his legs were fastened together.

After a couple of seconds, Ino rolled him on to his back, settled herself on his chest, and began digging around in her kunai pouch. The shinobi's expression clearly transmitted his utter confusion at this turn of events. While most of Naruto's mental resources were trying to rationalize his current predicament, a certain part of the genin's mind contemplated that this position would have been much more interesting for him if the slits on the sides of Ino's clothes didn't allow her skirt to settle completely. Shaking his head to rid himself of the thought, Naruto resumed his struggles to free himself. "Ino-chan, could you get off me? I can't really breathe too well with you sitting on me." WHACK!!! His comment was rewarded with a sharp smack to the side of his head. When he looked up at the girl, he noted that her eyes had narrowed dangerously and part of her face appeared to be inexplicably concealed in shadow. He suddenly had a feeling that he should have just kept his mouth shut. As she spoke, her voice took on an ominous tone that, while even and seemingly calm, still caused a shiver to run down the young shinobi's spine, "Naruto… Are you calling me fat?"

Naruto's eyes widened at both the question and the tone as he mentally scrambled for a response. "N… No, it is just that you are not as light as you look." She stared at him for a long moment, trying to figure out whether or not he had just complimented her. WHACK!!! She settled for smacking him upside the head again before continuing to rummage around in her kunai pouch. A small exclamation concentrated Naruto's attention on exactly what she had found. His breath seemed to catch in his throat as she slowly withdrew… a marker. Naruto stared blankly at the item for a second to make sure that he was correct in his observation. 'Yep… definitely a black, permanent marker.'

Ino, having obviously found what she was looking for, returned her attention to the bound shinobi she was currently sitting on. With an overly sweet smile and a pleasant tone, Ino began, "Now, Naruto… I want you to know that you brought this down upon yourself. If it hadn't been for your comments a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't have felt the need to seek revenge. I believe you called me an 'air-headed, Uchiha-obsessed fan girl'… and not just once, but twice. For your information and future reference, I am not the type of girl that allows such comments to pass by unpunished."

"But you already slammed my head into the ramen counter. And besides that was over two weeks ago. Surely you can't hold a grudge for something that happened so long ago?" Naruto was disgusted that his voice seemed to have taken on a slightly whining tone.

Ino smiled at the helpless shinobi as she responded, "Haven't you ever heard of the expression, 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'? I was simply biding my time until the right opportunity presented itself. But after this, I want you to know that there will be no more hard feelings. So just take your punishment like a man and we can move on with our lives. I guess there is no harm in telling you that you provided me with the inspiration for this punishment." Observing his confused expression, Ino continued, "Your prank on the Hokage Monument?" At this point, Naruto understood the purpose of the marker and resumed struggling.

Ino's face took on a pseudo-thoughtful expression as she stared down at her victim. "Now… should I go with something personal or just make you look goofy? Or should I say goofier?" Ino was really beginning to enjoy herself, as she continued taunting the struggling Naruto with a teasing smirk. "I know! You are always going on about how you are going to become Hokage. Let us start off with Sandaime-sama's goatee and progress from there." As she uncapped the marker, Naruto's struggling increased. In a desperate play for freedom, he focused on the one technique that he had executed hundreds of times since his graduation from the academy. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!!!" Ino was about to mock the struggling shinobi when she felt two sets of hands restrain her arms. Her head whipped from side to side and Ino was startled to find two Naruto bunshins lifting her off the original. After a moment, she began to struggle against their hold, but found that they had a solid grip. Her struggles were soon curtailed as a third bunshin began securing her legs with ninja wire.

After the bunshins had subdued the kunoichi, they moved to release their creator. Freed from his restraints and rubbing his wrists to fully restore their circulation, Naruto looked down upon the incensed blonde. "I guess the situation is not so amusing now that the tables are turned, is it Ino-chan?" The young kunoichi huffed angrily as she gave up trying to escape her bindings and glared at the smiling shinobi. "How the hell were you able to do that? You were not able to perform the hand seals necessary to perform that jutsu."

Naruto was about to respond with a sarcastic comeback, when the meaning of her question hit him like a ton of bricks. He simply stood there, stock still, as he began to fully process the implications of her observation. Naruto's voice was barely above a whisper, "No hand seals…" Naruto slowly closed his eyes and focused his chakra on performing his favorite technique once more. Without even voicing the name of the jutsu, Naruto's concentration was followed by the distinctive pop of displaced air. Opening his eyes, he was rewarded with the sight of several dozen Kage Bunshins staring back at him with dumbfounded expressions. A cheer rose from the Naruto mob as they realized that they had unlocked another aspect of their bloodline. A rustling from the ground returned their attention to the blonde kunoichi at their feet.

Naruto signaled for the bunshins to disperse before focusing on Ino once more. "Thanks, Ino-chan!!! I am so happy about this turn of events that I am almost willing to let you go." Ino seemed to deflate slightly as he completed his declaration. Ino arranged her face in a cute pout as she stared at Naruto and intoned, "Almost?" Naruto began to sheepishly scratch the back of his head. "Well, you see… I cannot simply ignore your attempt at revenge. But seeing as how I am in such a good mood, I am willing obey one of the golden rules that old man Hokage has been encouraging me to follow for several years." A gleam of hope seemed to return to Ino's eyes as she inquired, "Forgive and forget?"

"Nope. 'Do onto others as you would like done onto you.' And as you had such a good idea and were so enthusiastic about its execution, it is time to demonstrate what a fair and reasonable person I am." With this statement Naruto bent over and retrieved the still uncapped marker from the ground. "Now hold still, Ino-chan. This won't hurt a bit."

Instead of simply submitting to the inevitable, Ino began squirming around once again. "But I am too pretty to be drawn on!!!" Naruto took on a bemused expression at this statement. "Be that as it may, you really shouldn't start something unless you are willing to face the consequences."

Naruto assumed the same position that Ino herself had enjoyed just moments before. Gently stopping Ino from moving her head around too much, he began to render a black goatee on Ino's otherwise flawless skin. Ino was so stunned that he was actually going through with his threat that she remained perfectly still as Naruto completed his drawing. As the blonde shinobi finished drawing the goatee, he thought it looked a little lonely…. so he added a curly mustache before releasing Ino from her bindings.

The girl in question remained motionless for a moment before slowly reaching towards her face. Although she was aware that her skin would not feel any different, she felt the need to physically trace the locations that the marker had contacted moments before. Ever so slowly, Ino turned towards Naruto and calmly inquired, "Did you just apply permanent marker to my beautiful face?" Despite the alarm bells ringing in his head, Naruto remained where he was standing and smilingly nodded his head in the affirmative.

Ino's face flushed with anger as she leapt to her feet and began running through a series of hand signs. Naruto tensed, unsure of what to expect for the now livid girl. "Well I hope you like walking around the commercial district in your underwear!!! Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu!!!"

As they were only a few feet apart, the effects of the jutsu were almost instantaneous. Naruto ended up staggering backwards before falling down. It felt as if someone had hit him over the head with a massive club. Rubbing his head, Naruto looked around for the kunoichi to give her a piece of his mind, only to find her collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

After several failed attempts to wake her, Naruto sat down and considered his options. After some thought, the young genin concluded that he should take her home as it would start to get dark soon and he couldn't just leave her alone in the woods. As it would probably be less painful for Naruto if she woke up in transit, he decided to carry the girl bridal style instead of throwing her over his shoulder. With a sigh, he picked up the girl and began to make his way towards her house. Just as the two ninjas were about break the tree line and reenter the city proper, Ino let out a small sigh and snuggled closer into him as he carried her. 'She looked kind of cute when she did that… Where did that come from?!?!'

XXXXX

Yamanaka Inoichi was currently relaxing quietly in his living room, reading the day's paper. He listened absently as his wife hummed in time with some unobtrusive music playing in the background while preparing dinner in the next room. It was one of the few days that he had been able to take off in the last month and he was enjoying it. So he was in a good mood when he rose to answer the knock at the front door. The sight he found there caused him to pause. It simply was not everyday that you found Uzumaki Naruto holding your unconscious daughter in his arms. Inoichi quick quashed his initial reaction and decided to rationally take stock of the situation. A quick visual inspection of his daughter indicated that she was breathing regularly and appeared in good health. The only difference between her normal appearance and now was that she was fast asleep, being carried around by a teenaged boy, and sporting a rather well drawn mustache and goatee.

Deciding that Ino did not appear to be in immediate danger and that there was probably an amusing story here, Inoichi decided to act as if this was an everyday occurrence. "Greetings, Uzumaki-san. How are you doing this evening?"

Naruto, who had become incredibly nervous during his trek through the village, was caught completely flatfooted by the affable greeting. 'Can't the man see that I am carrying his daughter? Isn't he concerned?' Clearing his throated, Naruto nervously responded, "V… very well, Yamanaka-san. How has your evening been?"

"It has been very relaxing. I was just reading the paper and my wife is fixing one of my favorite meals for dinner. Overall, it has been a very pleasant evening. Oh, how rude of me. Please come in and sit down for a while." As the blonde jounin stepped aside and fully opened the door, Naruto began to wonder about the mental health of the Yamanaka Clan. Naruto shifted Ino, who her father still had not asked about, in his arms to ensure that he did not hit her head on the door frame. As he entered the living room, Naruto walked towards one of the couches and gently placed Ino down. Inoichi was having a great deal of fun observing Naruto's obvious confusion, but was slightly uneasy with the care the young shinobi was demonstrating towards his only daughter.

As Inoichi sat down, he could not help but reflect on the meeting he had attended between the Hokage and the academy instructors. Inoichi had always prided himself on being reasonable and thorough in his thinking. He had always attempted to develop his own point of view, based on first hand observations and free of outside influences and prejudices. This practice had served him well throughout his career, as a ninja that makes assumptions will end up far worse than looking like an ass.

Having always valued this independent mindset, Inoichi was disturbed that he had fallen for into the same pitfalls as everyone else. This concern was compounded by the irrefutable proof that he had based his judgments on inaccurate and contrived information. Specifically, Iruka's memories had painted a vastly different picture of the boy before him than was generally known. Anyone who had seen the Forbidden Scroll incident from Iruka's perspective would have any doubt about the boy vanish. Troubled after the meeting, Inoichi decided to discuss the matter with the three people he trusted the most in the world, his wife, Honshu, and the other two members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chouza.

Honhsu, being a civilian, had had an interesting, if incorrect, prospective on the boy. As a civilian, she really didn't understand the mechanics behind the sealing process or what it entailed. While, in the first few weeks following the sealing, the Sandaime had tried to emphasize that Naruto was not the demon itself, but merely the container, the emplacement of the secrecy law effectively stifled all reinforcement of this idea. In this information vacuum, the opposing view of some civilians gained more traction and had apparently become widely accepted. To compound this misunderstanding, she had also greater exposure to the various rumors that circulated about the boy, as she had spent far more time amongst the village's merchants and other civilians than her husband. While she had never met him in person, her impression was that Naruto was some sort of cross between a demon in training and a trouble making delinquent. When Inoichi had relayed some of the memories he had viewed, Honshu was willing to admit that some of the rumors may have been exaggerations.

While the discussion with his wife had concentrated on the unfair treatment the boy had suffered at academy, the discussion amongst the trio had centered more on the potential the Hokage had mentioned. Although, again, none of them had personally met the Uzumaki boy before, all three had heard through their children that he had been a mediocre student of little note. As Inoichi relayed some the actions that the Hokage had uncovered during the investigation, both of the men became a bit more sympathetic to the boy, especially Chouza. Inoichi imagined that this sympathy originated from the sad truth that members of his clan tended to be picked as children due their size.

In this discussion, Inoichi emphasized that the Hokage clearly stated that there was something special about the boy outside of the demon he contained. The chakra capabilities alluded to by the Hokage and the Kage Bunshin army the boy had summoned in the forest lent credence to this notion. While the three jounins had not been close friends with the Yondaime, they had met him on countless occasions and had a healthy respect for his abilities. Given what they knew from personal experience and how meticulous he was rumored to be, it would not be unheard of for him to taken special care in selecting a specific child to be the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. But the question remained… What attributes would give a newborn child a better chance of containing the most powerful of the tailed demons? As Naruto seated himself across from Inoichi, the jounin pushed aside his ponderings for later consideration.

The easy smile Inoichi had been wearing disappeared as the jounin asked in a calm but serious tone, "So, now that we are comfortable, would you mind explaining how you ended up at my front door with my only daughter unconscious in your arms?"

Naruto smiled nervously at the jounin, actually quite relieved that the man was beginning to act like he was supposed to. Scratching the back of his head, the genin inquired, "Where would you like me to start?"

"The beginning is always a good place, Uzumaki-san."

The blonde genin shifted in his seat as he absently responded, "Call me Naruto. Uzumaki-san just sounds weird." And so Naruto began by quickly summarizing how he had met up with Ino a couple of weeks ago and how they had begun training together. He relaxed slightly, as the man sitting across from him was not demonstrating any anger at these revelations. Naruto then continued his explanation, describing his and Ino's most recent sparring session and the events that followed.

As Naruto fell silent, Inoichi concluded, "From the sounds of it, Ino tried to use one of our family's techniques on you. I am still a bit concerned about her reaction though." Inoichi's face took on a thoughtful expression as he thought about the problem. "Would you mind if I performed a minor diagnostic jutsu? It won't hurt you, but it will let me get a better idea of why Ino reacted the way she did."

Naruto was a bit uncomfortable with the request. On one hand, he didn't know anything about the guy and he didn't exactly have the best track record with strangers. On the other hand, this was Ino-chan's father and it might help her recover from whatever she had done. Reluctantly, Naruto nodded his ascent to the jounin.

A quick series of hand seals later and Inoichi's eyes appeared to lose focus. The technique that the jounin was employing was not truly a diagnostic technique, but more of a high-level reconnaissance technique developed by the Yamanaka Clan. It is a derivative of a medical technique that is used to evaluate mental energy. Where a med nin would use the technique to view the general mental activity of a patient, the Yamanaka used its variant to evaluate the mental defenses of potential targets.

As Inoichi's senses adjusted, he was astonished by the sight before him. While most minds were fairly open with a weak, transparent barrier defending against outside influences, Naruto's mind was a roiling mass of energy. The defensive barrier surrounding his mind was so formable that it was nearly opaque. The only individuals that would have similar defenses were Yamanaka Clan Elders and very high-level genjutsu specialist. Inoichi briefly wondered if this was an instance of the potential mentioned by the Hokage, before he noticed a barely visible tendril of energy reaching from the Kyuubi's seal, which was visible for an unsettling reason, towards boy's mind. 'The Yondaime's seal is feeding his defenses, giving him a near perfect defense against possession? An unexpected but not unwelcome safeguard.' However artificial it may be, Inoichi was still astounded by the level of Naruto's defenses. 'This level of protection renders him immune to a whole class of genjutsu and some of the family's most formable techniques. Perhaps this would be worth mentioning to the Hokage for additional research… If the seal's effect could be duplicated somehow… I will also need to have a discussion with Ino to ensure that she doesn't attempt to repeat today's actions.' Inoichi released the technique as he had answered his initial questions.

Seeing that Naruto was curious about what he had found, Inoichi offered, "You have some very impressive mental defenses and it appears that Ino simply wasn't able to get past them. As she simply exhausted herself, she should be fully recovered after a good night's rest." He then glanced over at his daughter, who was still sleeping peacefully. "I think I will take Ino up to her room. Please don't get up as I won't be more than a few minutes." Naruto rose despite the jounin's instructions. "I can go so you can get back to your evening. I just wanted to make sure that she was okay."

Inoichi gave the young man a searching look before he returned his gaze to his only child and responded, "And I am very grateful for that. There are some that would not have been so honorable in this situation." Naruto adverted his eyes and colored at the compliment. "I will be back in a couple of minutes. Please just sit down and relax." Inoichi picked up his daughter and carried her towards the back of the house. As he approached the staircase, he called out, "Honshu, would you mind entertaining our guest for a moment while I take Ino up stairs?"

An attractive blonde haired woman of medium height stepped through a doorway as she responded, "Ino is home? Why does she need to be taken upstairs? Dinner is almost…"

After taking a second to comprehend the scene before her, Honshu inquired, "Inoichi-kun… Why is Ino asleep and why have you drawn on her face?"

Inoichi eyes widened at the question as he responded, "I didn't do it." At his wife's suspicious look, Inoichi continued, "Really, I didn't. Apparently, Ino was playing a prank on someone and it backfired. Naruto simply applied the golden rule and this is the result."

This explanation drew her attention to the young man that was standing in the living room, fidgeting nervously. Honshu recognized the boy immediately, feeling an odd jumble of emotions at the sight of the infamous boy standing in her house. But as he stood there, glancing around the room and nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other, she couldn't help but realize how young he looked. Remembering what she had discussed with her husband a couple of weeks ago, Honshu glanced towards Inoichi, who wore an encouraging smile. Honshu cleared her throat, which drew Naruto's attention, before she inquired slightly louder, "So is this the Naruto who drew on Ino's face?" At Inoichi's affirmative nod, Honshu gestured for Inoichi to proceed upstairs as she walked towards Naruto. Honshu smiled as Naruto swallowed nervously.

Honshu gracefully seated herself on one of the couches as she intoned, "Now young man, I would like for you to sit down and explain why you thought it was a good idea to give my daughter facial hair." The combination of the situation and the woman's deadpan delivery of her request were enough to cause Naruto to burst out laughing despite his nervousness.

XXXXX

As Inoichi ascended the staircase with his daughter, the jounin began to reflect on what Naruto had said during his explanation. His story actually explained quite a number of things that he had observed in his daughter since her graduation from the academy. For the first couple of weeks following her graduation, Ino had complained a great deal about her lazy teammates and about the seemingly pointless missions her team was being assigned. Overall, these complaints were fairly standard and reminded Inoichi a great deal of his own experiences as a genin. This came to an end as, one day; she arrived home very irritable, muttering threatening things under her breath. Though mostly unintelligible, the gist of her muttering was that she was going to put the 'baka' in his place. This occurrence was followed by several nights of Ino arriving home later than normal, bruised and exhausted.

While both Inoichi and his wife had inquired about her activities, Ino had simply stated that she was training. She was, however, very vague as to the details. At first, Inoichi was quite pleased that Ino was beginning to take being ninja more seriously. During her last years at the academy, he had been worried that she seemed more concerned about her social life then about the dangers of being a kunoichi. But this view wore off after a few days and Inoichi's parental instincts began to take over. He had planned on following Ino one day to find out what she was doing, but somehow his wife had guessed his intentions and had stopped him. She insisted that he allow Ino to maintain her privacy unless he had some specific cause for concern. Grudgingly, he admitted that he didn't have any evidence that she was in any danger. He settled for offering his only child some support by teaching her a low level healing jutsu for minor scrapes and bruises. Inoichi came back to the present as he laid Ino on her bed and draped a thin blanket over her. Inoichi was descending the staircase when he heard Honshu inquire, "Oh, Naruto, would you like to stay for dinner?"

Honshu blinked at the effect that the question had on the boy. She was confused for a moment as she thought about any possible reasons for his shock. She quickly bit the inside of her lip to keep from broadcasting her surprise. 'Of course… he has never been to dinner at someone's house before. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the first time he had been in someone's home for any reason.'

Inoichi, who had come to a similar realization as his wife, came up behind the boy and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder in comforting gesture. He began speaking as if he hadn't notice Naruto's muscles tensing at the contact. "Don't worry about it. It is just a casual meal. But it does give us a chance to discuss something I wanted to ask you about. From what I have heard, you are quite the accomplished prankster…" And with that statement Inoichi guided the boy towards the dining room.

XXXXX

Ino's return to wakefulness was accompanied by the steady throbbing of a low-grade headache. The girl slowly reached up to message her temples as she tried to remember what had happened. The last thing she remembered clearly was sparring with Naruto and then everything became hazy. A slight shift if her position and a deep breath confirmed several things to the young kunoichi. She was fully clothed in her ninja attire and lying on a bed, probably her own if the floral scent of the room was anything to go by. Ino slowly opened her eyes, confirming that she was in her bedroom. The young kunoichi sat up and asked aloud, "Now, how did I get back here?"

Ino was contemplating this question and a couple of others when her door opened and her mother entered the room with a stack of laundry. "Oh Ino, you're awake. I was just going to put some stuff away and help you change for bed." Honshu smiled as she continued, "You just missed Naruto. We just had a most enjoyable dinner with him… such a nice boy. It's a shame you missed it. You really should invite him over again sometime. Your father seemed to enjoy hearing about some of his pranking exploits…" Ino was unsuccessful in her attempt to follow the disjointed and incomprehensible comments being made by her mother as she fluttered about her room while putting away her clothes. She ended up responding rather simply, "What?"

Honshu gave her daughter a concerned look at the question and quickly walked towards her only child. "You don't have a head injury do you? Your father said that you had just exhausted yourself while sparring with Naruto. The boy must have a great deal of stamina, as he did not even appear to be tired. But perhaps you shouldn't push yourself so hard. You appear to be taking on some… masculine characteristics."

Ino stared at her mother blankly for a moment, still trying to comprehend what she was saying. 'Naruto had dinner with my parents? Head injury? Exhaustion? Masculine characteristics? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?!' Honshu, struggling to contain herself, continued to observe her daughter calmly before the flash of a camera destroyed her self-control. Honshu began to giggle, as a look of horror seemed to descend on her daughter's features. 'I guess she finally remembers what happened.' The second flash seemed to jolt Ino into action, but she appeared to be torn between covering her face and chasing after her father to destroy the camera.

Inoichi cackled at the invectives and curses being thrown at him by his only child as he opened the front door and escaped into the night. He needed to store the camera with one of his friends so that he could get the pictures developed at his leisure. Once several copies had been safely hidden away to ensure that the evidence could not be destroyed, Inoichi would present Ino with a framed copy. 'Perhaps I should give one to Naruto as well? It is going to be a long time before I let her forget this.'

A/N – Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I am actually quite interested to see the type of response this chapter generates, as this is really my first attempt at humor not found in canon. Anyways, the response so far has been very encouraging. This is especially true since there is quite a bit of competition, with over 10,000 new Naruto stories having been posted in the two months since this story began. For those that are interested, I plan to keep my current schedule of posting a new chapter every 10-14 days.

And for those that are absolutely devoted to a specific pairing, I would advise you to wait a couple more chapters before abandoning the story. While I am not ready to reveal my final plans, as they are not quite final, I will say that I will most likely stick to canon characters within a couple of years of Naruto's age for possible pairings. But as with Ino, the characters will have a bit more depth/back-story than in canon.

Story Statistics as of 07/28/2007

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	7. Chapter 7

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 07: The Spy

The sun was just breaking above the line of trees surrounding the clearing, but the occupants of the training ground did not pay it any mind. Maito Gai stood off to the side of the training grounds, calmly observing the match between the two genins under his immediate tutelage. Sparring with Naruto was proving to be very beneficial for his student, as Naruto's fighting style was developing to be the antithesis of Lee's. While incorporating a number of aspects from the Iron Fist style, Naruto's amalgamation of styles was slightly wild and chaotic, seemingly designed to take advantage of the slightest mistake. Lee's strict adherence to the Iron Fist was more controlled and structured, allowing few openings. Gai had to admit that the boy was actually giving Lee a decent work out this morning. But the green clad sensei realized that it would still be some time before Naruto had a chance of defeating Lee. 'Perhaps it is time to increase his weights?'

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As Naruto transitioned from a beginning to an intermediate kata, the blonde shinobi could not help but marvel at the overall progress he had made since he had become a ninja. It only went towards proving how a single incident can change your life. His father's letter had answered questions that had always hung over his head and given him peace of mind that had always elluded him before. On top of that, the letter had disclosed information about his bloodline, which seemed to have been made for his way of thinking and Gai-sensei's training methods. If he worked hard and pushed himself to his limits, his body would respond by growing and adapting to handle the stress. So if he continued to push and to apply himself, his potential for growth was nearly limitless. Of course, this would growth would not have been nearly as impressive without the guidance of Gai-sensei or old man Hokage. Even though he had been severely handicapped by the academy instructors, the training regimen the two senior shinobi had assigned him enabled him to address his shortcomings.

Naruto's already remarkable physical endurance had increased to the point where he was now able to sustain his heavy physical training schedule without exhausting himself by the end of the day. His chakra control had improved by leaps and bounds thanks to the exercises recommended by old man Hokage. This was especially true given that Naruto was utilizing Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to make the best use of his time. And finally, his academic studies were nearing completion, at least up to the standard of academy graduation. He planned to continue them with some of the topics old man Hokage had mentioned during his first meeting.

As he finished his exercise, Naruto glanced over at the blonde kunoichi warming up some distance away. Spending time practicing with Ino was still a novel concept for Naruto. If someone had pulled him aside a month ago and told him that he would soon start spending several hours a day with Yamanaka Ino, he would have called them insane. But as insane as it was, Ino had become the closest thing he had ever had to a friend. Even her family had done something that no one else in Konoha ever had; they had invited him into their home. It was only for dinner, but the thought and the gesture behind the meal was still unique. Although he had been extremely nervous throughout the evening, he could not help but smile when he thought about the meal only a couple of nights past.

Naruto's ponderings were interrupted when he heard a barely audible shuffling in the woods surrounding the practice field. As he continued into his next kata, Naruto concluded that the sound had been a little too regular to be a passing animal or another natural occurrence of the forest. Naruto frowned slightly as he considered his next action. While his and Ino's training sessions were not secret, he would rather not be spied upon. And he was curious as to who would even bother. A moment later, Naruto decided on a course of action and moved slightly closer to the tree line opposite of the person. Where previously he would have simply stopped and yelled a challenge to the observer, the Kazama heir had decided to take a more circumspect approach. During another transition in his exercise, the young shinobi seallessly performed Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and the Bunshin quickly followed it with Kawarimi no Jutsu, exchanging itself for the real Naruto.

With the replacement hopefully undetected by the intruder, Naruto quickly circled the clearing towards the where the sound had originated. As they were still just warming up, Ino would be unlikely to dispel the Bunshin within the next few minutes. Utilizing the same stealth techniques that had allowed him to terrorize the village at will with his pranks, Naruto silently approached where he suspected the observer was hiding. After about a minute of searching, Naruto came upon the intruder. There, almost entirely hidden behind a large tree and kneeling on a limb approximately ten feet off the ground, sat a girl that he recognized from the academy. It took him a couple of seconds to remember her name, but it eventually came to him. 'Hinata?' Confused as to why she would be interested in Ino's and his training session, Naruto continued his approach of the quiet girl.

XXXXX

Quietly adjusting her position in order to be a bit more comfortable, Hinata directed her attention towards the forest clearing visible through the leaves. The two blonde genins were now exchanging barbs back and forth and appeared to be preparing to spar with each other. Hinata was a bit taken aback by the easy flow of the conversation and the level of familiarity being demonstrated. During all her time observing Naruto at the academy, he had never associated with the Ino outside of when his attentions towards Sakura had brought them into contact.

It was odd that the apparent friendship being demonstrated before her brought up a number of conflicting emotions. On one hand, she could not help but feel happy for the blonde shinobi. After all the difficulties that he has had to face, it was nice that he had finally found someone to talk to. Ever observant of Naruto, Hinata had noticed a slow but remarkable shift in his behavior over the past several weeks. While at the academy, Naruto had always transmitted a certain restlessness, a certain… energy in everything he did. This had come to an abrupt end soon after the graduation test at the academy. The odd circumstances surrounding his eventual graduation seemed to have caused him a great deal of distress. His eternally cheerful and optimistic mask had fallen away to reveal a brooding Naruto, a persona that the young shinobi usually kept carefully hidden.

It was a couple of days before Naruto's mood improved. Still loud and confident, he now somehow seemed more settled, his smiles more honest. Hinata was happy that whatever was bothering him had been resolved and that his continence had returned to the confident optimistic individual that she adored. It seems that this apparent friendship may have contributed to his recovery.

While happy that the Naruto appeared to be more content, the thought of Naruto's friendship with Ino also caused Hinata to feel hurt and jealous. The blonde kunoichi had never been anything but mean and condescending towards Naruto-kun and now he appeared to be spending a great deal of time with her. It stuck her as patently unfair that cruel and spiteful behavior should be rewarded with the Naruto-kun's friendship, perhaps even his attentions. Hinata felt an uncharacteristic scowl form on her face as she thought about some of the conversations that she had overheard between Ino and her friends about Naruto-kun while everyone had been attending the academy.

The young girl's thoughts were interrupted by, "Hinata? What are you doing here?" Hinata's heart stopped. She knew that voice as well as she knew her own. 'It is his voice… from only a short distance away!' Startled, she immediately activated her bloodline, only to find her crush behind her, mere inches away… looking straight at her! Hinata let out a surprised squeak and attempted to hide behind the tree trunk. Unfortunately, she forgot that she was not on the ground and she tumbled backwards, having completely lost her balance on the limb she had been standing on. Moving quickly, Naruto managed to catch the startled girl bridle style before she impacted with the forest floor. With a lopsided smile on his face, Naruto looked down at the girl and inquired, "Shall we try that again?"

Hinata, however, was unable to respond. While her face had been demonstrating the light blush usually present when she was observing her crush, now she was doing a fair imitation of a tomato. In the span of three seconds several thoughts rushed through her mind. 'Naruto-kun caught me watching him and Ino-san training! He is looking at me! He is smiling at me! He is actually holding me in his arms!' These thoughts and several others managed to overload Hinata's senses, causing the poor girl to faint.

Now, Naruto was staring at the girl in honest confusion. 'What should I do with her now? Should I set her down and wait for her to wake up or should I take her home so she can recover there? Where is her home anyways?' His thoughts were abruptly cut off by a loud bellow that shattered the peaceful silence that had encased the forest clearing. "NARUTO, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? YOU HAD BETTER GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW OR I AM GOING TO POUND YOU SO HARD YOUR GRANDKIDS WILL FEEL IT!!!" Having had his options effectively reduced to one, Naruto adjusted his hold on Hinata slightly and made to reenter the clearing.

Ino, seeing her sparing partner reenter the clearing, was about to lay into him for replacing himself with a Kage Bunshin, when she observed that he was carrying an unconscious girl in his arms. Recognizing Hinata and being well aware of her feelings towards Naruto, Ino concluded that the girl had been caught following Naruto as she was prone to do. Given that assumption, it was not a stretch to imagine that said boy's proximity to her had caused her to faint. Realizing that the young Hyuuga's presence would delay their practice session, Ino quickly decided to initiate a verbal sparing match as their physical one had been interrupted.

In the scandalized tone, Ino began, "What have you done to poor Hinata? Is this what you do in your spare time, wander around the forest knocking poor girls unconscious?" Waiting only a moment or two, Ino's posture and tone undertook a thoughtful guise as she continued, "Hmmm… Perhaps I should perform a public service and inform the Hokage…" Naruto's attention was drawn from Hinata and quickly refocused on the blonde kunoichi. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Smiling innocently at her sparring partner, Ino responded, "Oh, I was just wondering if I should inform the authorities about your habit of preying on young girls as they travel through the woods. I would hate for this type of thing to continue and become a regular occurrence."

Naruto had continued into the clearing and placed Hinata gently on the grass, not wishing to disturb her. He quickly took off his jacket, rolling it up and placing it under her head so that she would be a bit more comfortable. Satisfied, he returned his attention towards a certain blonde kunoichi, who seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of pleasure in tossing about innuendo. Naruto's tone was a bit clipped, the closest Ino had ever heard to Naruto actually sounding indignant. "I was investigating a noise and I found her on the edge of the clearing. It is not my fault that she fainted when I asked her why she was there."

Not to be denied her fun, Ino smiled mischievously and continued, "Are you sure about that? Perhaps she saw your face and fainted from fright? I know that I am sometimes nearly overcome by your horrid visage, if I haven't prepared myself beforehand."

Naruto, who was still trying to figure out why Hinata was there, immediately gave Ino his full attention, his expression an unusual mixture between surprise and happiness. "Really? Then you know exactly how I feel every time we practice together!!! You know, after spending any length of time with you, I usually have to spend hours meditating in order to calm down. Otherwise, I wake up in the middle of the night, screaming from the most horrid nightmares."

Naruto shuddered theatrically and than looked at Ino with a pseudo-thoughtful expression. "You know, you should really consider wearing a bag over your head to spare the rest of the village. I'm pretty sure that I am not the only one so affected." The sparing match quickly resumed as Ino intoned, "You are so going to pay for that one!"

XXXXX

After several minutes, Hinata began to regain consciousness to the sounds of fighting. Opening her eyes, Hinata observed her surroundings and found that she was now lying down in the middle of the forest clearing. After a moment, a radiant blush appeared on the young heiress's face as Hinata remembered the circumstances that caused her to faint and the likely method by which she had arrived at her new location.

Once she managed to calm down, she noticed that the two blondes had resumed their training and were now engaged in a sparring match. As it would have been fairly awkward to just leave after having been caught watching them, Hinata resigned herself to once again observing the sparring match as she contemplated what would happen once they stopped.

'What is he going to do now? Naruto-kun seems to have gone to some lengths to keep these training sessions secret. Is he going to yell at me and tell me to leave? No, he is too nice to do that… Is he going to be angry with me and never speak to me again?' If she was honest with herself, that would not be too different from her current circumstances. This frank evaluation of their relationship caused her to become even more subdued.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Hinata noticed that the match appeared to be winding down, with Ino appearing to tire despite Naruto receiving more hits. As the two ceased their activities, Hinata noticed that, although Ino appeared far more winded than Naruto, both ninja sported a light sheen of sweat from their exertions. Once again, Hinata's face began to glow as she noticed that Naruto was not wearing his jacket and that his shirt seemed to cling to his body a bit more than usual.

Hinata began to play with her forefingers as she thought, 'As much as I liked his old wardrobe, Naruto-kun's new clothing does have a certain appeal…' Hinata looked up again to see Naruto was making his way across the clearing with a small smile adorning his whiskered face. 'It is one of those honest, carefree smiles that he has been wearing more and more recently. It is one of the few times he has actually looked content. And he is sharing it with me. Wait… He is sharing it with me? He is lookingat me. HE is looking at ME!' Hinata blushed heavily as she adverted her gaze; suddenly becoming very fascinated with her forefingers.

Unaware of the turmoil his approach was causing the shy girl, Naruto inquired, "Are you feeling better, Hinata?"

Taking a moment to gathering herself both mentally and physically, Hinata answered, "Y… Yes, Naruto-kun. I am feeling fine. I was just a bit s… surprised when you found me earlier."

A puzzled expression fell upon Naruto's face as the blonde shinobi asked, "What were you doing out there anyways? You seemed pretty intent on watching our training session." Behind the clueless shinobi, Ino felt the overwhelming need to smack her forehead. 'Blunt to the point of dullness.'

Hinata colored a bit more at the direct question. She took a calming breath and began to answer while playing with her fingers, unable to meet his gaze. "W… W… Well, you see I… I was walking in the forest, and I heard some fighting so I came to see what was happening. When I saw that the two of you were practicing, I just sat down and watched for a bit. I… I a… apologize for intruding. I did not mean to interrupt your training…" The circumstances that Hinata was describing and her obvious nervousness caused Naruto to remember a similar instance in his childhood.

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He was standing in one of Konoha's many city parks, just inside the tree line of a large clearing. Inside of the clearing, Naruto was watching about twenty or so children that were running around the park, playing a game. It looked like they were having a lot of fun, especially with the amount of laughing and shouting involved. A group of adults were near by, no doubt gossiping about the latest happenings in the village as they kept an eye on their children. Naruto desperately wanted to join the game, but past experience had taught him a harsh lesson.

If he exposed himself, a number of the parents would descend upon him before he could even approach the game. They would tell him to leave their children alone and berate him for his continued existence. Naruto's chest heaved with a heavy sigh as he continued to watch the game from the tree line for a few more minutes before sadly turning away from the field to go home. 'Perhaps a bowl of ramen will cheer me up…'

XXXXX

With a slight shake of his head, Naruto returned to the present and smiled at the still stuttering girl. He cut off the girl's apology with, "Hinata, if you wanted to join us, you just have to say so!!! You are more than welcome." The statement caused Hinata's head to shift so rapidly that Naruto was sure she'd have a crick in her neck later.

The Hyuuga heiress stared at Naruto for a long moment, her face taking on an expression of extreme shock, before she shifted her attention towards Ino, as the blonde kunoichi had been silently observing the conversation a couple of feet off to the side. Hinata found her wearing what she interpreted to be an encouraging smile. Noticing the attention, Ino verbally reassured the shy girl, "I don't mind. It would be nice to get a break from constantly pounding Naruto into the ground."

Naruto responded with, "What are you talking about?" Hinata's shocked expression transitioned into a shy, tentative smile as her gaze alternated between the two, as she asked, "R… Really? You wouldn't mind?"

Happy that his offer had been so well received, Naruto returned his attention towards Hinata and stated, "Like I said, you are more than welcome." As Hinata's smile increased intensity, Naruto continued by absently observing, "You know, you should smile more often. It suits you."

Ino, seeing Hinata flush heavily at the comment, grabbed Naruto and started to drag him away while stating, "Okay. Let's go, Romeo. We should allow Hinata to rest for a bit and get back to practicing." Slightly confused, Naruto followed behind the blonde kunoichi, leaving the Hyuuga heiress to replay his offhand comment in her mind.

XXXXX

Naruto's discussions with the Hokage had continued to evolve, covering a variety of topics that would help Naruto grow into his role as a Konoha shinobi and clan leader.

As a reward for all of Naruto's hard work with his chakra exercises, old man Hokage had prepared a number of jutsu scrolls for him to learn. While the jutsus were new, they were all derivatives of or related to his favorite technique, namely Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. The first two, Kage Shuriken no Jutsu and Kage Kunai no jutsu, would provide Naruto with some long-range attacks to supplement his primarily short range fighting style. While these two techniques would begin to round out his abilities, they also meant that Naruto would need to improve his weapon skills, as his aim was mediocre at best.

In addition to the shadow weapon techniques, the Hokage also provided instructions on three new bunshin techniques: Iwa Bunshin no Jutsu, Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu, and Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu. The Hokage offered that the new bunshin jutsus would allow Naruto to alter the battle tactics he would use in different scenarios. The Iwa Bunshins, in particular, appealed to Naruto's sensibilities as their physical durability was increased by the amount of chakra utilized in their creation. Of course they were not without their limitations, as the chakra did not return when they were defeated and the bunshins were unable to use chakra themselves. However, Naruto concluded that they could simply work together with some Kage Bunshins.

The Hokage also continued to tutor Naruto in various aspects of shinobi life. They would set aside some time during each of their meetings to discuss the types of strategies involved in dealing with various opponents. "No matter how strong you are, no matter how fast you are, no matter how tough you are… there is always someone stronger, faster, and tougher. One of my students can use chakra to enhance her strength to the point where she could demolish a wall with a flick of her finger. While some individuals are amazingly quick, there are techniques and abilities that would render even Maito Gai helpless. Your father's Hiraishin no Jutsuis an example of such a technique. And finally, there are some individuals that are resistant or nearly impervious to physical attacks. Your healing factor would be one example, but there exists a bloodline in Iwa that allows a person's skin to take on the likeness of the hardest rock. I would like you to reflect on how you would challenge such opponents to reduce or eliminate such advantages. Do you understand the purpose of this exercise?"

Other discussions with the Hokage had followed along the same line. "No matter how much chakra you possess, no matter how well you can control your chakra, or how many techniques you learn…" Naruto took up the explanation where the Hokage had trailed off, "there is always someone who has more chakra, better control, or more techniques."

The most recent discussion had been, "No matter how well you can see, no matter how well you can smell, or how well you can hear…" This particular discussion had been particularly interesting to Naruto, as the Hokage had concentrated on several of Konoha's bloodlines and clans, namely the doujutsus of the Hyuuga and Uchiha Clans and the varied abilities of the Inuzuka Clan.

As the blonde shinobi was traveling to Ichiraku's Ramen after the meeting, Naruto entertained himself with thoughts of using his new knowledge to beat the hell out of Sasuke. While the level of antagonism between the two had decreased a great deal since graduation, it would not stop Naruto from stomping the arrogant bastard into the ground and holding it over him for days. 'It would serve the teme right… But I don't think I have ever seen him use his bloodline… Maybe he only uses it when he is training by himself?' Needless to say that Naruto began to supplement his training regimen and his ninja supplies to deal with these new situations.

XXXXX

Hinata could be described in a number of conflicting ways depending on whom you asked. To the general public, Hinata was seen as the ideal heiress of the prestigious Hyuuga Clan, calm and deliberate in action and polite and courteous in speech. Most thought of her as a credit to her clan as, despite her rank, she never demonstrated the cold, haughty mannerisms that most of the clan had become known for.

To her peers, Hinata was seen as a shy but capable kunoichi. While not the highest ranked in the class, she was well rounded in her skills and possessed one of the most feared bloodlines in Konoha. Again, the quiet girl endeared herself to others through her polite and helpful nature. While she did not appear to have any close friends, it was not unusual for her to offer help to someone in need of it. For all this, the more observant members of her academy class could only shake their heads in confusion whenever they noticed her fascination with Uzumaki Naruto, the class clown and all-around slacker.

However, within her family, she was seen in an unfavorable light. She was ridiculed and ignored by her father and generally viewed with distaste by much of the clan's leadership. For a clan that values strength above all other virtues, her timid nature was seen as an unforgivable sin in the eyes of the clan elders. While many had personally observed her to be hesitant and uncertain during her training, they failed to see that this "weakness" was more from kindness than from lack of ability. She often trained herself to the point of exhaustion, diligently learning those techniques that had been passed down to her. But, despite her training, she could rarely bring herself to hurt anyone… especially her little sister. This reluctance came primarily from knowing through personal experience exactly how painful the Juken could be if applied properly.

So, despite her skills and regardless of her efforts, Hinata doubted that she would ever meet her father's expectations. She had almost given up on that goal as her time at the academy had only served to widen the gap between her and her demanding parent. But during this same time, Hinata's desire to be acknowledged by her beloved Naruto-kun blossomed and came to serve as the primary driver behind her training. It had never occurred to the shy girl that this drive would conflict with her resistance to hurting those she cared about or that this conflict would cause her to argue with Naruto.

"N… Naruto-kun… I don't t… think this is a good idea. I c… could hurt you." Even with her worsening stutter, Hinata's voice was far stronger than she would have expected in this situation.

The two genins were currently facing each other in the middle of the forest clearing the trio of genins had adopted. Naruto had redirected his bunshins' research efforts towards learning more about the Hyuuga Clan since Hinata had begun training with Ino and himself. The conversation with the Hokage had only served to heighten his interest. Both the Hokage and the vague summary of Hyuuga taijutsu style in the library's scrolls described their Juken style as the most formidable style within Konoha. Even Lee and Gai-sensei acknowledged that Hyuuga Clan members were taijutsu masters. All of these endorsements had led to Naruto's current request of Hinata: for her to use the Juken style in their sparing matches.

Smiling at the shy girl, Naruto responded, "Don't worry about it, Hinata. I am a bit tougher than I look." At Naruto's continuing intransigence, Hinata looked off to the side, seeking support from Ino. The blonde kunoichi simply sat there, either not understanding the dilemma Hinata was facing or not particularly worried about the potential outcome. Disheartened, Hinata returned her gaze to Naruto, who looked excited and eager to start the match.

Resigning herself, as she knew that Naruto would not be deterred and that she couldn't deny Naruto anything, Hinata slowly dropped to the standard Juken stance. She decided to employ the same ruse that she had used at the academy, utilizing the Juken form without the chakra enhancement that made it so formidable. Seeing her stance, Naruto gathered that Hinata had agreed and took up his own stance. After a moment Naruto said, "Whenever you are ready, Hinata."

After a couple of moments, Naruto became almost certain that Hinata was holding back. Slightly frustrated, but not wanting to attack the shy girl's confidence, Naruto intoned, "Come on Hinata, I know you can do better than this."

"H… Hai, Naruto-kun." Hinata increased the speed of her movements and the match became more intense. Even without the use of chakra, the Juken was still a formidable style, primarily focused on defense. Her teachers within the clan had once used the analogy of a rock standing against the continuous waves of the ocean. The Juken style enabled the Hyuuga Clan to stand against wave upon wave of attacks, so that they would either passed by harmlessly or be broken upon the unforgiving force of the clan's abilities. While the match became more strenuous, Naruto noticed that the strikes did not appear to be anything special. After a couple of moments, Naruto broke off the match and quickly thought of how he could convince Hinata to take this seriously.

"Hinata, do you trust me?"

The calm, direct nature of the question caught Hinata off guard and generated an immediate response from the shy girl. "Of c… course, Naruto-kun."

"Then I would like for you to listen to me very carefully. Even though we are only training, it is very important that you apply every last bit of skill you have towards winning this fight. Sparring is meant to improve a person's skills in a safe, non-lethal environment. But for this fight to be truly beneficial to us, we need to push each other. I need for you to push me as much as you need for me to push you. If you are worried that I might be hurt, remember that it is much less dangerous for me to make mistakes against you than to make them during a mission. If you do not push yourself to the limit of your skills and abilities, then neither of us will grow to our fullest potential." Naruto shook his head after he finished, slightly freaked out that he seemed to be channeling a cross between old man Hokage and Gai-sensei.

The young heiress stood stunned; slightly shocked that Naruto could speak with such passion about something as mundane as a sparring match. While Hinata was still reluctant to hurt the blonde shinobi, the young heiress bowed to the inevitable and responded, "I think I understand, Naruto-kun." Although she was still had her doubts, Hinata took a deep breath and began the channel chakra into her hands.

Despite her statement and her decision to try her best, Hinata renewed the match rather tentatively. She approached Naruto and attempted a basic Juken strike, but the blonde shinobi dodged it effortlessly. She increased her speed and he dodged it again. This kept happening until Naruto exclaimed, "Come on, Hinata!!! Give it everything you have got!!!"

With this encouragement, Hinata began to utilize her Juken style to fullest of her abilities as the two continued their sparing match. As the fight resumed, the blonde shinobi understood that she was now serious, noticing the subtle shift in the young Hyuuga's stance and the slight hardening of her gaze. Naruto soon found that he was hard pressed to avoid the deceptively gentle strikes and began blocking Hinata's blows directly. Naruto noticed a sharp stinging pain radiating throughout his arms each time he blocked a blow, but he gritted his teeth and bore it without comment. Attempting to block the strikes with the chakra weights on his forearms proved to be only partially successful as Hinata accounted for these in her attacks. His attempts at offensive strikes were either dodged outright or brushed aside effortless with only a sharp pain to indicate that Hinata had been forced to block the blow. Eventually, the sharp stings became a continuous dull ache and began to affect the speed of his defense.

It was only another couple of seconds before Hinata laced a solid blow through Naruto's defenses and impacted his stomach. The moment of elation she experienced for having landed a direct hit quickly shifted to panic as Naruto fell to his hands and knees, clutching his stomach with one hand. Two thoughts seemed to be running through her head simultaneously. First, she realized that Naruto must be feeling an immense amount of pain as she had struck him with a full Juken strike to the abdomen. 'How can I claim to care about him if I have caused him such pain of my own free will? How could I have been excited about hurting another, let alone Naruto-kun? These are not the acts of a friend.' The sudden wave of guilt she felt at Naruto's suffering nearly overwhelmed her.

The second thought that passed through the young heiress's head was a bit more selfish. While never contributing to the conversations herself, Hinata had overheard from a group of kunoichi at the academy that boys did not like girls that were stronger than them. She began fretting that she had just destroyed her chances with her Naruto-kun, after finally succeeding in being able to be in his presence without fainting constantly. This crushing thought nearly caused Hinata to hyperventilate.

Oblivious to the thoughts traveling through the young kunoichi's mind, Naruto quickly regained his senses and rose to a kneeling position. 'Well, I wanted to know why the Hyuuga Clan's style was so feared and why the clan was so respected. I imagine that if it weren't for my healing abilities, that this would be far more painful and debilitating. For being such a shy girl, Hinata really is something.' He was still holding a hand to his abdomen, though the pain from the Juken hit was rapidly dissipating. Looking up the concerned kunoichi, Naruto exclaimed, "That was great, Hinata-chan!!! I knew you had it in you!!!" Hinata swooned, both from the shock of his recovery and the thoughts running through her mind. 'Hinata-chan!!! He called me Hinata-chan!!!'

Mastering her thoughts and pushing aside her excitement at the suffix for later consideration, Hinata offered, "P… perhaps we shouldn't u… use the Juken in sparring anymore. I… I really didn't mean to hurt you."

"Don't worry about it. No pain, no gain and all that. This is training after all." Seeing that Hinata was prepared to argue the point, Naruto continued, "I don't want to go into too much detail, but the Juken won't have much effect on me in the long run. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if I start to build up a resistance to it after a couple of matches."

Naruto rose from his position on the ground and smiled at the young heiress. "See, I am already feeling better." Shocked that he was claiming to be resistant to the Juken, Hinata activated her bloodline to see for herself. Sure enough, she witnessed that Naruto's tenketsus were reopening before her eyes. The cloud of her chakra that should have remained in the affected areas for some time was dissipating rapidly. Shock did not begin to describe how Hinata felt about the scene before her.

Having seen her reactivate her Byakugan, Naruto smiled softly at the girl. "See Hinata-chan, you don't have to worry about me. I can take a few hits without you having to worry about the consequences." Held speechless by what she had observed, Hinata could only nod dumbly as Naruto made to resume their sparing match.

XXXXX

Later that evening, Yamanaka Ino was lying in her bed, breathing in a slow regular pattern. One would think that the young kunoichi was asleep except for the slight frown adorning her face and the fact that her pale blue eyes were sightlessly staring at the ceiling. It had been a day of revelations, but those revelations only served to confuse her.

During the day's practice, Naruto had been adamant about sparring against Hinata while she was using the full Juken style. Ino was sure that if it had been anyone other than Naruto that Hinata would have refused outright, as she always had at the academy. Ino had not interfered in the brief arguement, as she had been very curious to see a demonstration of what her father had described as the strongest taijutsu style in Konoha.

After Naruto had finally convinced Hinata to go all out, it soon became clear that something not immediately apparent was happening. At the first contact between the two genins, Naruto had flinched as if stung by something. After a couple of more such reactions, Naruto's eyes hardened and muscles around his jaw tightened. It soon became apparent that he was in quite a bit of pain as his movements were becoming sloppy far too early in the match for it to be from fatigue.

Ino had then shifted her prospective over to Hinata and found that she was looking at a totally different girl than the one she was familiar with. The Hinata before her moved with an assured confidence normally not found in the shy girl. Her movements did not transmit any of the tentative attacks or blocks that had plagued the girl's taijutsu sparring during her time at the academy. The most profound difference was the eyes. Once she got past the bulging veins around the eyes, Ino found that all hints of familiarity and kindness she usually found there had been washed away. Ino felt a slight shiver run through her body as she remembered the scene. 'Hinata can be a very frightening person when she needs to be.'

But the most important revelation had come after Naruto's defeat. Her father had gone into great detail in describing the relative strengths and weakness of each ninja clan in Konoha. He had stated that engaging a Hyuuga in taijutsu was the height of stupidity as the Juken could quickly disable even the strongest opponent in seconds. The style somehow disrupted the victim's ability to use chakra effectively and would cause a great amount of pain with even the most innocuous of strikes.

But Naruto had held out against the style for some time and had recovered so quickly that even Hinata had been stunned. He had then offered that he would eventually be resistant or immune to the style. Ino's frown deepened. 'Dad said that many of the clan's techniques would not work on Naruto due to some extraordinary mental defenses. He then forbid me from questioning Naruto about them, adding that the topic could result in me being brought before the Hokage on charges of treason. Now it turns out that Naruto has some resistance to the techniques of one of the most powerful clans in the village. These are not the abilities that I would expect from a clanless orphan that graduated dead last from the academy. Just who is Uzumaki Naruto?' Irritated that answers were not forthcoming, Ino turned on her side and eventually fell asleep.

XXXXX

Kakashi silently observed Team Seven as they waited for his arrival. He was at least pleased to see that all three team members were attempting to improve their skills instead of simply standing around. Naruto had shifted his training towards improving his weapon skills. Sasuke was engaged in a highly complex taijutsu kata that Kakashi knew was designed for use with the Sharingan.

Sakura was sitting off to the side, studying some scrolls. Kakashi frowned under his mask as he thought about his third student. While she seemed to have acknowledged her shortcomings during the bell test and was studying to improve her genjutsu skills, she didn't seem to realize that she would need to improve her physical skills and increase her chakra reserves to be able to hold her own long enough to use her mental gifts.

Shaking his head, Kakashi focused his attention on the more troubling problem. 'This team has some of the worst teamwork I have ever seen. While they cared enough about each other to pass the bell test, they can barely stand each other socially let alone work together effectively.'

'Sakura is fairly easy to figure out. Her introduction and her actions since joining the team have only served to highlight how one-dimensional her worldview is. She worships Sasuke in hopes he will miraculously recognize her and decide to ask her out on a date. Prior to my comments, she continually tore down Naruto, perhaps due to low self-esteem, in an attempt to make herself look better by comparison. Understandably, this only served to drive both of her teammates away from her. If she doesn't learn to demonstrate some tack in her social interactions, she will find herself even more alone than she already is.'

'Sasuke, despite his obvious skill, is far from the ideal of a Konoha shinobi. He most obvious fault is thinking that both of his teammates are beneath him. This is primarily a fault of his upbringing and being worshipped as the second coming ever since the massacre. He seems to harbor at least some respect for Naruto; most likely because he is taking his training seriously. On the other hand, he appears to dispise Sakura. Her clingy nature and her need for Sasuke's approval only serves to highlight to him that she is unable to stand on her own two feet. He also views her general attitude and her continous requests for a date as bothersome distactions.'

'Naruto is a bit of a canundrum. His childhood would lead one to suspect that he would welcome any social interaction with others. His academy file indicated a strong rivalry with Sasuke and a crush on Sakura. In reality, Naruto is almost apathetic to the presense of his two teammates. My primary worry prior to meeting the trio had been that some sort of contentious love triangle would develop.' Kakashi snorted in disgust at his previous concern as he turned the page in his book.

'What has developed instead is worse in many ways. He ignores Sakura unless he doesn't have any choice and mocks Sasuke but usually only in response to the Uchiha survivor's taunts. Without outside instructions, he usually prefers to work by himself, either training away from the other two or summoning masses of Kage Bunshins to complete the team's more labor intensive missions quickly. As soon as he can, he departs the team meetings each day without acknowledgement or a backward glance.'

Kakashi sighed as he turned another page, 'Sometimes dealing with others is so troublesome.'

XXXXX

Saturday morning dawned with little fanfare, as most of the Hyuuga Compound's residents were still sound asleep in their bedrolls. There was one notable exception to this fact. As Hinata padded silently through the house towards the kitchen, she began to reflect on how she had always felt unwelcomed within her home. With the exception of her now distant early childhood, the compound had always represented duty, silence, and discipline. In a short amount of time following the death of her mother, Hinata lost her all vestiges of her childhood and both of her parents. The once caring father that she remembered smiling warmly with her mother was replace by a cold, uncaring instructor that was unyielding in his training regimen.

Even when she was young, Hinata had always been a fairly shy and quiet girl and this shift only served to enhance those qualities in her personality. After her mother had passed, her training and education became the central focus of her days, replacing nearly everything else. Her father and select members of both the main and branch families began to instruct her in everything they deemed she should know. Being constantly scolded for laughing and playing in the garden courtyard only served to emphasis that the time of childhood games and beliefs had ended. While she excelled in her academic and social lessons, her taijutsu instructors became more and more frustrated with her, especially after Hanabi had begun to join their training sessions. It wasn't long before their frustration led her father to cast her personal training aside and to banish her to the academy.

Hinata paused as she reflected on her first days at the academy. In many ways, her being sent there was one of the most heart-wrenching moments of her life as it was the day that her father officially gave up on her. But if she had not been sent to the academy, she would not have met Naruto-kun.

Continuing her walk, the young heiress continued her reflection. Oddly enough, Hinata could not recall the first time she had noticed the blonde shinobi. During her first few weeks at the academy, she had been far more wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice those around her. But eventually Hinata noticed a troubling pattern of behavior. The academy instructors treated the blonde boy unfairly. While they were not exactly subtle, the totality of their actions was unclear unless you were paying attention. They would send him out of class during important lectures for no reason. They would pick him to spar against far stronger opponents, sometimes as many as three at a time. They didn't give him the same supplies or instructions that they gave everyone else. The list of minor and petty injuries went on.

It wasn't long before the other students also picked up on the undercurrent of the instructors' actions and began to emulate them. But the blonde boy seemed to be immune to the cruelty of both the instructors and her fellow students. When people mocked him, he yelled back. When people picked on him, he fought back. When he was selected to spar, he would bear his pain in silence and continue fighting. He never gave up. Whatever the difficulty, he simply never gave up. This type of strength and fortitude impressed her deeply.

The young kunoichi soon arrived at her destination, still lost in her thoughts as she began laying out the ingredients for the meal she planned to prepare. Only a couple of weeks had passed before the young Hinata noticed that her feelings towards Naruto had begun to change. The honest admiration she bore towards him for his perseverance wasn't quite the same as it had been. It had evolved into something else. It had taken her several days to analyze what had changed, but the young heiress had eventually reached a conclusion. Plain, boring Hyuuga Hinata, failure to her clan and the shyest person at the academy, had gone and developed a crush on Uzumaki Naruto, the most determined and energetic person she had ever met.

In her eyes, Naruto had been transformed from a rowdy classmate to a confident, valiant, wild-haired boy with cute whisker marks adorning his cheeks. As quiet as she was, it was not difficult to observe him from afar. It also did not appear suspicious, as Naruto was often the center of attention. Time passed but Naruto never noticed her. And she certainly couldn't blame him. Hinata realized that she was painfully shy, having barely spoken more than a couple of sentences to him during their time together at the academy. He had barely acknowledged her existence, let alone show any indication that he might return her feelings. Not that Hinata had ever expected that to happen. Shaking her head to rid herself of this depressing thought, Hinata continued her preparations and her daydreaming.

But these setbacks did not stop her from hoping for some miracle. She had taken to following Naruto occasionally to learn more about him. Hinata learned a great many things about the blonde shinobi in her travels throughout the city. She witnessed the beginning and growth of his career as a prankster. She had discovered his love for ramen, especially that of Ichiraku's. She had observed his dedication to mastering those skills the academy instructors deemed harmless to teach in his presence.

But far more importantly, she learned that he wasn't all that different from herself. She observed that he would occasionally become morose when watching groups of children playing together or just hanging out. The same feelings would be revealed sometimes when he happened upon a young family. He only revealed these feeling when he thought no one was looking and, for some reason, Hinata believed that there were actually two Narutos. One was the confident boy who would fight against anyone or anything that stood in his way. The other was just a young boy, who was as lonely as she was and who simply wanted to be accepted.

This realization and connection had inspired Hinata to try and help Naruto in some small way. The young girl began a campaign of lending him assistance when ever she could do so anonymously. If Naruto was hunting around the training grounds for kunai and shuriken to practice with, then Hinata would try to get ahead of him and leave a few in for him to find. If the class was studying an important topic, then she would purchase some books that mirrored the text books that he had not been given. This turned out to be quite an undertaking as the academy covered a large range of topics, but it had warmed her heart when she had later come across him avidly studying one of the books she had anonymously given him. That particular book had contained a detailed history of the previous Hokages.

She had even found out his birthday by using her bloodline to see into his student file. After she had obtained this information, Hinata debated with herself for several months on whether it would be appropriate to give him a gift. Even once she had decided, her internal debate turned towards whether it should be personal or general, permanent or transitory. She eventually settled on something she knew Naruto would use and enjoy. For the last couple of years she had given him several coupons for free ramen at his favorite restaurant. There had been a bit of a stumbling block when the proprietor of Ichiraku's had said that they didn't have such things, but she had managed to convince him. She had observed the variety of emotions Naruto had displayed at having received the present along with the unsigned note. Confusion gave way to shock, which was followed by suspicion and, finally, happiness. The brilliant smile he had worn for the next couple of days had been well worth her efforts.

During her observations of Naruto, Hinata had also learned about the disturbing undercurrent of hatred that seemed to follow Naruto wherever he went. As she would trail the blonde shinobi, Hinata could not help but notice that the many of the villagers held a great deal of animosity towards Naruto. Her quiet nature enabled her to go unnoticed by many adults, so she had often overheard these villagers referring to her crush as "Demon-brat" or some derivative there of. But this did not make any sense to her. Sure, she was willing to admit that Naruto was a bit loud and liked to play jokes. But him being energetic and mischievous was hardly enough reason to call Naruto a demon. While Hinata was immensely curious, she simply could not bring herself to ask the villagers why they looked at Naruto with such loathing. It was a sentiment that she was very familiar with herself…

Hinata was shaken from her thoughts by the sounds of someone approaching the kitchen. She quickly finished packing the lunch she had prepared for the day and exited the room through a different door.

XXXXX

The moment of truth had arrived. She had prepared for this moment and had been both dreading and anticipating it as the morning practice session had worn on. It was now lunchtime and Naruto had mentioned that he had to get something to eat. As he turned towards where he had left his jacket, Hinata swallowed heavily and asked, "W… would you like to share some of my lunch? I always make quite a bit so there is more than e… enough if you would like some." Hinata cringed internally as the question had come out a bit louder than she had intended. She shyly looked down at her feet, blushing radiantly, as she waited for his reply.

She really didn't know where she had found the courage to make such a bold request of Naruto, but glad that she had finally found the nerve to ask the question. Today had been the perfect opportunity for her. It was Saturday so the two genin had been free of normal team training and missions. There was only the two of them as Ino had been asked by her mother to help out at their family's flower shop today. So events had conspired to leave Hinata with a perfect opportunity… a day alone with Naruto-kun.

Hinata began to shuffle her feet as her nervousness increased. While it had only been a couple of seconds, Naruto had stopped his departure and was looking towards her. This had always been one of her more plausible daydreams while she had been attending the academy. The scenario was preferable to many others, as it did not require her to be overly aggressive or assertive. Naruto would have forgotten his lunch and she would shyly offer to share her own. They would eat quietly under a tree in the academy's courtyard while exchanging a few pleasantries. Hinata had always believed that this scenario allowed her to capitalize on one of her strengths, as she had always prided herself on her ability to cook. She also figured that it would be a good first step in getting to know Naruto better as he was an enthusiastic eater and always very appreciative of acts of kindness. Finally, it didn't hurt that she had once heard that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach…

Naruto paused in his motions to depart for Ichiraku's. The offer shocked him to his core, but he quickly pushed this aside to observe the young kunoichi standing before him. She was nervously shuffling her feet, playing with her forefingers in a manner that he had long observed in the quiet girl. Understanding that this meant that the shy girl was, for some reason, nervous about his response, Naruto decided to abandon his normal meal plans and accept her offer.

XXXXX

Hinata had quickly gone to retrieve the picnic supplies that she had left at the edge of the clearing. Laying out the blanket and food she had prepared, Hinata felt a moment of panic as Naruto sat down on the blanket, only a few feet away. Mastering her feelings, the young Hyuuga finished her preparations and handed the blonde shinobi sitting beside her a plate of food a few moments later.

Hinata fidgeted nervously as she waited for Naruto to begin eating. The only food that Naruto had ever talked about was ramen, so she didn't know if he would like the food she had prepared. The meal she had prepared was fairly simple, but she had made quite a bit as Naruto tended to have a healthy appetite. Most of it was still within the basket, as she did not want him to feel obligated to eat it if the food was not to his liking.

Hinata sighed in relief as Naruto made an appreciative noise before quickly devouring the small helping she had given him. As she began to replenish the Naruto's plate from within the basket, Hinata found her courage and began to talk to the blonde shinobi, "I wanted you to know that I am very appreciative that you invited me to practice with you. It has been very nice." Hinata beamed internally as she had completed her statement without stuttering like she normally would.

"Er, thanks, but it was nothing. I just knew how it is to be stuck on the outside looking in. Besides it is not as if I have a large number of friends... it would be nice to have another."

Blushing lightly at the offer, Hinata smiled and responded softly, "I… I would like that very much."

The silence and the soft smile Hinata was wearing began to make Naruto extremely nervous for some reason. Naruto's mind began to flail about for a topic of conversation. After several moments, Naruto finally settled on a topic and cleared his throat before asking, "So Hinata-chan, what do you do for fun?"

Broken from her daydream about being friends with Naruto-kun, the young heiress asked, "For fun?"

"You know what do you do in your free time? When you are free from missions, training, and everything else, how do you enjoy spending your time?"

"W… well, Naruto-kun, I enjoy pressing flowers."

Observing the look of slight confusion and honest interest on Naruto, Hinata continued to discuss her hobby. She briefly described the mechanics of preserving the flower itself and their presentation for use as a decoration. She was not sure how long she talked, but as she was continued, Hinata realized that it was probably the most she had ever spoken to Naruto.

"U… Usually I try to find one for special occasions. Then after I am able to return home, I preserve the flower and memorialize the occasion." Hinata's gaze shifted into the distance as she absently added, "It was something that I learned from my mother…"

Startled by the change in the kunoichi's tone, Naruto offered, "I am sorry Hinata. I didn't mean to bring any painful memories or anything."

Looking towards the boy with a tentative smile, Hinata continued, "No… it is okay. I like to remember these types of things. She passed away when I was very young and th… thinking about her helps to preserve her memory in my thoughts. Besides a few pictures and mementos, they are all I have left." Seeing that her comments appeared to trouble the young shinobi, Hinata decided to change the topic by expanding on her answer. "I also like to make different medicines. Mostly just medicinal salves and ointments, but I recently learned to make an antidote to simple poisons."

Hinata was happy to see that the change in topic had snapped him out of his troubled thoughts. "I can make a couple of different ones. I… I gather most of the ingredients myself for the f… forests surrounding Konoha. I find it relaxing to find the herbs and to combine them together in such a way as to help others."

Satisified that she recovered the conversations, Hinata asked, "What about you Naruto-kun?"

Naruto thought about the question for a moment and realized that he really didn't have an answer. He trained, he ate, and he studied. His schedule didn't really allow for much free time and Naruto wasn't sure what he would do if he had any. 'Now that I think about it, some of my studying is more recreation than anything else. This is especially true now that I have finished the topics covered at the academy.' A recent trip to the library would find about half of the Naruto Kage Bunshins studying some of the topics that the Hokage recommended, while the other half were guided by whatever struck them as interesting. Naruto, or rather the Naruto Bunshins, had even asked Kitakawa-san to recommend some fiction books and scrolls to pass the time.

Absently scratching his cheek, Naruto responded, "Well… at the academy I spent most of my free time planning pranks. Nowadays I seem to be spending a lot of time reading books. It is strange that I only started to enjoy reading books when I did not have to read them, but they are interesting. I really don't have that much free time outside of studying and training."

Hinata seemed content with this answer and a comfortable silence fell between the pair. The only noise to be heard was the rustling of the leaves and the light clink of the Naruto's chopsticks against the dishes. Naruto finished eating and thanked Hinata for the food. As the young kunoichi began putting some of the items away, he began to study the girl sitting beside him. He really didn't know what to make of her sometimes. Whereas Ino and Sakura were very vocal about what they were thinking, Hinata was far more passive than he was used to.

Refocusing his attention on the surrounding forest, Naruto continued to think about what he knew about her. After awhile, Naruto found himself verbalizing his thoughts. "You know… back in the academy I always thought you were dark, timid, and a bit weird." Hinata's attention immediately snapped towards the blonde shinobi as she blanched at his comment, a stricken look materializing on her ashen face. Naruto continued to speak; unaware of the impact his words were having on the girl sitting beside him. "I was always a bit confused by how you acted. You didn't laugh at me like the others did, but you didn't want to talk either. Whenever I tried, you would usually just look away and play with your fingers."

Naruto appeared to tire of staring off into the forest and he focused his attention on a blade of grass that he picked up from beside the blanket and began tearing up. "But you are a nice person… still a bit weird, but in a good way." Hinata calmed a bit, but looked towards Naruto as if she were awaiting an executioner.

Naruto continued after a short pause, still unaware of the emotional turmoil he was causing. "I like people like you. I just wish I would have tried to talk to you more at the academy."

It took the flustered Hyuuga quite a bit of time to formulate a response to Naruto's statements. "I w… would have liked that too. You're a very special person in my eyes. I a… admired you very much at the academy. I… I am a very shy person. I was always very n… nervous at the academy a… and still am in many ways. You never cared what anyone thought of you or your actions. You spoke your m…. mind and did whatever you wanted. If people laughed at you or insulted you, you simply ignored them and moved on. You never gave up. I often wished that I had that sort of strength."

"No. What makes you truly strong is…" As Naruto began to speak, Hinata was glad that he couldn't see her face as she felt herself blush heavily. His voice was so soft, with a husky, enthralling tone that caused her to blush even though she was sure it was not intended. As he continued to talk about strength and determination, Hinata thought, 'This is exactly how I pictured things in my daydreams. The two of them getting to know each other with no pressure or judgment… with no one watching.'

This last thought caused her to blush a bit more as she thought of some potential implications of these circumstances. She struggled to keep her own breathing calm and even, as her heart thumped almost painfully in her chest. She glanced over at him as he had decided to lie back on the blanket and stare up at the sky visible between the leaves. He looked so peaceful that it made Hinata's heart ache. As she observed him, her blush dissipated as her previous thoughts settled. 'I will need to find a special flower to remember today.'

XXXXX

A couple of days later, Naruto asked Hinata to eat with him at Ichiraku's Ramen as thanks for the picnic lunch. While she had attempted to decline politely, the blonde shinobi insisted on her presence. Ino quietly followed her fellow genins, giving Hinata a knowing smile as Naruto nearly dragged her off towards the ramen stand.

Their arrival at Ichiraku's nearly precipitated a disaster in Hinata's eyes as the proprietor recognized her from her coupon buying visits. It was only violent shaking of her head and a pleading look that she was able to avoid disclosure of her role in the presents. Even without the revelation, Ino had caught the interaction and was watching her with an inquisitive expression. The waitress, Ayame, also seemed to be staring at her with an unusaul amount of interest.

Hinata felt as if she was the center of attention and she began to play with her forefingers. Desperate for a distraction, the Hyuuga heiress turned towards Naruto and asked, "Naruto-kun, why do you train so hard?"

"So I can be Hokage," Naruto answered automatically.

"B… But why do you want to be Hokage?" Ino looked towards the other blonde Gennin for a moment then said, "Yeah, what twisted thoughts inspired the class prankster to aim for the village's highest office?"

Naruto decided to answer Hinata's question seriously, despite Ino's addtion. "All my life I've tried to prove everyone wrong." Naruto paused briefly, gathering his thoughts, before he continued. "When I was younger, the title of Hokage represented two things: attention and respect. The villagers always either ignored me as if I didn't exist or looked down upon me for various reasons. There was…" And as he continued, Hinata once again found herself enthralled by Naruto's voice. To be in the presense of such passion and energy… it was almost intoxicating. As he continued, she almost felt as if she was experiencing the events first hand. Even those that she had observed herself took on new meaning due to his prospective.

Naruto paused in his speech, before finishing with, "And maybe I'll be able to prevent someone else from being treated like I have been." The comment was vague and only made sense to Hinata due to her knowledge of how poorly he had been treated.

"It is an admirable dream, Naruto-kun." The warm smile Hinata received for the comment caused her to blush. As the young Hyuuga focused her attention of the bowl of ramen before her, Hinata thought, 'If this is the result, then I will make every effort to make picnic meals a regular occurrence.'

XXXXXX

Over the past several weeks, she had been improving by leaps and bounds. The sparing matches with Naruto had improved her stamina and her taijutsu. The chakra control exercises, especially the tree climbing exercise, had sharpened her control and were building her reserves. These results had not come without a great deal of effort, but that just made her more pleased with her obvious improvement. Her father had even agreed to teach her some of the family's intermediate techniques as a reward for all her hard work.

This particular practice session was reminiscent of the first couple of weeks with Naruto, as Hinata had been unable to join them today. Ino would have sighed contentedly in rememberence, if she wasn't in the middle of a sparring match. Those early sessions were a fond memory for the blonde kunoichi as she is a very competative person and those early matches usually involved Ino beating the crap out of Naruto. It had been some time since the sparring matches had been that one-sided, but this fact just made her victories all the more satisifying.

Ino shook her head and tried to focus on the match she was currently involved in. Something was off about Naruto's fighting today and she couldn't figure it out. He was fighting fairly normal, slightly chaotic and over the top, but he seemed to be distracted. He would ignore openings right before his eyes, both contrived and real. He seemed to hesitate in his reactions, his strikes a split second too late to be effective. Even his taunts and his barbs seemed to be more contrived than usual. It was almost as if he was drawing out the match, waiting for something. 'But what could he be waiting for?'

The two genins separated after a brief exchange, Ino coming off worse than Naruto due to her trying to understand the baka's actions. The shinobi is question was now about ten feet away from Ino's position. As she prepared to rejoin combat, she noticed that Naruto was smiling broadly at her. The kunoichi paused, thinking, 'This can't be good.' Naruto jumped back to give himself a bit more space as he flipped through a couple of hand seals. He landed and called out, "Sasuke no Jutsu!!!" Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Ino wondering, 'What the hell?'

Once the smoke cleared, Ino found herself looking at a scene from one of her more interesting daydreams. Sasuke's lithe form stood before her wearing only a towel, as if he had just come from the bath. His hair was damp and toused in such a way that caused her heart rate to skyrocket. He was slightly turned towards the side of the clearing, his arms crossed and his face thoughtful as he stared into the distance. Ino was mezmarized as she continued to drink in the details of the scene before her. It was a natural reaction considering how much time she devoted to thinking about Sasuke. Just when she was prepared to start at the top and work her way down once again, Susuke turned towards her, smiling broadly, and asked, "Why are you looking at me so strangely, Ino-chan?" Before the question or the suffix registered in her mind, the Sasuke look-a-like sprinted forward and delivered a brutal kick to the kunoichi's stomach.

The kick blew straight throught Ino's hasty defense as the kunoichi had been stunned by the sight before her. Ino was knocked off her feet and soon felt the cool steel of a kunai resting against her neck. Naruto, having dropped the jutsu, was kneeling off to the side, smiling broadly. He quickly removed the kunai from her throat and exclaimed, "I win!!!"

As the shinobi rose to walk away, Ino jumped to her feet and began shaking the baka by his jacket. "Where do you come up with such stupid and perverted techniques? Was there any other purpose in inventing that technique other than annoying me?"

"What can I say?" he asked, a wide smile lighting up his face. "I just have a knack for distraction. As for the purpose, it did allow me to win the sparring match. I would like to think that my amazing talent stunned you, but the glazed look in your eyes told me that your thoughts were elsewhere." His tone was amazing smug as he deliver the last sentence.

"In addition to stunning you into inactivity, I could probably use the technique to similar effect against Sakura and the teme's other fangirls." Naruto paused as his face took on a thoughtful expression for a moment before he continued, "I don't think it would work against Hinata-chan as she never seemed to be interested in Sasuke-teme."

Ino choose to ignore the inference that she was just another fangirl and, for some reason, concentrated on Naruto's last thought. 'He would not need to henge or even reveal so much to get a reaction out of Hinata. Even after a couple of weeks of training together, Hinata still blushes at Naruto's attention and friendly comments.' Unbidden, the image of Naruto covered in nothing but a towel came to mind. It was only natural considering she was thinking about Naruto's use of the technique against the Hyuuga heiress.

What was odd, at least to the kunoichi, was how much detail her imagination was able to assign to the mental image. His messy blonde hair, still damp from his shower. His vibrant blue eyes, staring at her in amusement and with just a hint of desire. His muscular build, water dribbling down… 'What am I doing?!?! This is Naruto!!! Stop thinking about him!!! Kami, I have a perverted and traitorous mind!!! I should be thinking about Sasuke-kun, not this blonde idiot.' Ino's inner pervert simply responded, 'Whatever gets you through the day… But you do have to admit that Naruto has been a welcome addition to some of our recent dreams.' Ino colored as this thought caused her to reflect on some of those dreams before, 'Stop it!!!'

She could feel that Naruto was watching her closely and she felt herself blush further. Cursing her pale complexion, Ino excused herself for the evening, claiming to have forgotten to run an errand for her mother. She quickly left the clearing, leaving a somewhat confused shinobi behind her.

XXXXX

Hyuuga Hiashi was, by his own choosing and nature, a very detached parent. But even he noticed that his eldest daughter had been at home far less over the past couple of weeks than was her custom. When he had inquired about her absence, her response had been that she was training after her team finished their mission for the day. Despite her response, Hiashi got the impression that she was leaving something out of her explanation.

It had been a couple of days since the explaination and Hiashi was walking towards the Clan District, returning from a meeting with the Hokage. Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice his eldest daughter hurrying across the intersection ahead of him. While to most it would look as if nother were amiss, Hiashi noticed the set of her shoulders and the slightly longer steps that betrayed his daughter's discomfort at being late for a meeting. Curious about her dispostion and about her absence from some recent meals, Hiashi decided to follow her.

Hinata eventually led him to an abandoned training ground near the village's outer wall. As to why she was in a hurry, he ascertained that she had been late for a meeting with the other two genin present in the clearing. When Hinata had arrived, the two, the Yamanaka heir and Uzumaki boy, had been sparing. While this would normally be little cause for comment, it appeared that both genin were using Tsuchi Bunshins in addition to sparring themselves. 'An impressive amount of control for genins.'

Continueing to observe the three from beyond the current range of Hinata's vision, Hiashi watched as the first match ended and his daughter stood to spar against the Uzumaki boy. He noted that her form was still a little rough, but far more fluid than the last time he had observed her. There were also subtle adaptations to the traditional Juken form, but most these changes appeared to be due to her having less reach than most Hyuuga. It took Hiashi a couple of moments to realize what he was seeing as it was something so obvious that he had missed it when he had begun his observations. 'Why is Hinata is utilizing the Juken in a sparing match with an outsider?'

Despite his misgivings, Hiashi continued to observe the match to ascertain why his daughter thought it prudent to do this. Any harm had already been done as these sessions appeared to be a regular part of her schedule. As he watched the match continue, Hiashi observed his daughter land a well-executed combo that sent the Uzumaki boy sprawling to the ground. Just as he was about to indulge in an odd bit of parental pride, Hiashi was shocked to his core to see the boy bounce back to his feet with little difficulty.

'How is that possible? Did Hinata fail to execute the combo while utilizing the Juken? It doesn't appear so as her hands are still glowing from the technique. Did she execute the strikes poorly?'

'Hmmm… Even that wouldn't explain Uzumaki's recovery as even poorly executed Juken strikes are debilitating. No, there is something that I am missing. Somehow the Uzumaki boy was able to shrug off the effects of the Juken with no long lasting effect. Maybe this has something to do with the Kyuubi? Previous to this instance, the only individuals that were able to resist the Juken style had been… members of the Kazama Clan.'

Hiashi drove the telescopic capabilities of his unusual eyes to their limit as he focused on the 'Uzumaki' boy. As he visually verified that the foreign chakra in his system was disapating at an accelerated rate, Hiashi's mind brought forth a mental image of the boy. The boy's wild blonde hair and the bright blue eyes took on new meaning as Hiashi continued his analysis.

Hiashi's face slowly took on a very uncharacteristic expression of shock as his mind assembled a number of barely remembered facts and rearranged them into some semblance of an explanation. 'With the exception of Yondaime, none of the surviving Kazama Clan members had been involved in any serious relationships in the years following the war with Iwa. Kazama Hikari had been bedridden with a serious but unknown disease several months before the Kyuubi's appearance in Fire Country. Only the Kazama family itself had been allowed to see her and she mysteriously passed away on the same day that the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi. Finally, no one, not even Sarutobi, could account for the Uzumaki boy's sudden appearance in Konoha on the day of the sealing. The boy had not even had a family name until Sarutobi had provided him with one. How has this never occurred to me before?'

Hiashi shook his head to clear his thoughts as he turned away from the three genin and proceeded back towards the compound. 'This will require some thought and verification.'

XXXXX

Yamanaka Ino was not having a good day. She had run into Sakura at lunch and and the pink-haired girl had taken a great deal of joy in expounding on how much time she had been spending with her raven-haired teammate. Ino's mood had not improved when her team had been asked to babysit six-month-old triplets and a toddler while the mother went shopping for the afternoon. The mission had been even more intolerable than usual, as the three men on her team had decided that she should be the one to take care of everything, as she was the girl. Sure she liked children as much as the next girl and had babysat quite often to earn some money when she was younger, but come on!!! Trying to change three diapers at once while a toddler kicks you in the shins is enough to drive anyone insane.

Her mood continued to darken as she met up with Naruto and Hinata. Naruto, ever the exuberant person, greeted her brightly and began peppering her with barbs and comments as was their custom. The banter that she usually enjoyed exchanging had seemed to be like nails on a chalkboard given her current mood. And, despite her worsening mood, she had decided join the other two genin for the post practice picnic. Even though the day had not gone as planned, she could not bring herself to refuse Hinata's offered meal, as the shy girl had probably spent some time in its preparation.

But her anger seemed to be bubbling just below the surface as she struggled to keep from losing her temper. The final straw was Naruto making a particularly vicious comment about Sasuke's brooding demeanor. She was not sure how the topic had come up, but it was enough that she finally gave into her desire to lash out at a target. "What the hell would you know about it?!?! Some people hide in an emotional shell because they can't just go through life laughing like an idiot. You have no idea what his life has been like! You have got to be one of the most insensitive people I have ever met! Didn't your parents teach you any manners before they abandoned you?!?!" As soon as the words had left her mouth, Ino gasped, belatedly realizing exactly what she had said.

The bowl in Naruto's hands shattered, the shards cutting deeply into his palms. Ino could tell that Naruto was struggling to remain calm, as his breathing became a bit ragged. Ino actually started to become a bit concerned, as the air around the clearing took on a heavy feeling that Ino had only ever noticed when her father was exceptionally angry about something. After a few seconds, Naruto shifted his gaze to Ino and she flinched. His eyes were filled with a mixture of deep sadness and a kind of rage that she'd never seen before. What she didn't know was that she'd opened an old wound, just like Sakura had weeks ago. As he was growing up and continuing into the academy, Naruto had been mocked constantly with similar taunts. Even knowing the truth now did not remove the pain of those nights that a young Naruto had cried himself to sleep, wondering why his parents weren't there.

His tone was cold, hard, and unyielding; a far cry from the bubbling optimism and confidence that usually infused his voice. "My mother died giving birth to me. My father gave his life to protect this village. He realized that he would be leaving me alone in this world and that decision tore him apart. But, in the end, he decided that good of the many outweighed the needs of the few. That is not the type of sacrifice that your small mind can wrap itself around and I will not allow you to mock his actions by flippantly saying that he abandoned me."

There was a slight shift in his tone as the topic of Naruto's speech shifted from defense of his long dead family to that of the person insulting them. The cold, derisive voice sounded almost alien coming out of his mouth, but he continued anyway. "If the rest of the Yamanaka clan is anything like you then your father was probably fleeing in the opposite direction, afraid to put himself in harm's way and get his hands dirty. Despite your protestations of the opposite, you don't have the disposition to be a real ninja. You are weak, both physically and mentally. You are so caught up in your romantic fantasies that you don't realize that life is hard. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made and life will not always have a happy ending."

"That Uchiha-teme that you're obsessing over, your 'Sasuke-kun', is nothing more than a conceited, egotistic bastard completely fixated on killing his brother. You'll never be more than a hindrance in his mind, let alone his girlfriend. You and just about every other girl at the academy must be suffering from brain damage to think that you could break through his 'emotional shell' and make him happy. That emo-teme doesn't want to be happy. I would have thought that your time at the academy would have cured you of these fantasies, but apparently not. So why don't you do everyone a favor and grow the hell up!!!" The confrontation ended as Ino gave Naruto an odd hurt expression before huffing angrily and storming out of the clearing. Naruto, suddenly feeling restless, stomped to the far side of the clearing and began to pound on the training posts that resided there. Hinata simply remained where she was, shocked at the words that had been exchanged and debating what she should do.

XXXXX

After a few moments, the Hyuuga heiress had decided on a course of action. This action was relatively straightforward: to approach Naruto and give him some advice. The way she had decided to go about it, however, was one of the more daring plans that had she had ever conceived.

Her approach appeared to go unnoticed by the blonde shinobi, as he continued to vent his frustration. After waiting for a lull in Naruto's demolition of the training post, Hinata moved towards Naruto and embraced him from behind. He ceased all movements as if paralyzed by her actions, his arms pinned to his sides. Having received the desire effect, Hinata whispered, "You need to calm down, Naruto-kun." Naruto attempted to shrug her off, but the attempt was half-hearted at best. "P… please take a couple of deep b… breaths and calm down." Another moment passed as Hinata waited for his compliance with her instructions.

After his breathing became a bit more regular, Hinata continued, "Now, I w… want you to know that what just happened was simply an a… argument between friends. Neither you nor Ino are at f… fault. You both just let your tempers get the better of you." Hinata once again waited a few seconds to gauge Naruto's reaction before continuing. "It is nothing to be ashamed of. I don't think that either of you really meant what you said. But the two of you should straighten this out before it goes any further. F… Friends need to be able to forgive each other for mistakes." Another moment passed as Naruto considered what she had said, his breathing resuming its normal pattern during his contemplation.

Suddenly, Naruto rotated in her arms and then he brought up his arms and tentatively placed them around Hinata's waist. Hinata adjusted her arms slightly and blush brillantly as she rested her head against his chest, maintaining the embrace despite their new alignment. Naruto paused for a moment, as if stunned by Hinata's actions… and his own. It was the first hug he could remember receiving and it was… nice. Despite the rather odd circumstances, Hinata quickly discovered just how pleasant it was to hold and be held by a person that you cared about. After a couple of moments, Naruto regained his ability to speak. "Hinata-chan… Thank you." Hinata's cheeks darkened futher as she continued to offer comfort to Naruto.

Naruto apparently chose that moment to realize that he was, in fact, holding her. He tried to remove his hands, but found that couldn't break her hold on him without being rude. As if sensing the shift in his intentions, Hinata soon released him and the two pulled apart after a moment. Hinata graced him with a warm smile before adverting her gaze and playing with her forefingers. Internally, the young kunoichi was congratulating herself for approaching him in his time of need. It had taken every ounce of her mental strength to approach him, instead of shrinking into the background and she was quite proud of herself.

Hinata shook herself from her thoughts as she remembered Naruto's injuries. "N… Now we should t… take care of your injuries before they get infected." As Naruto began to fidgit nervously and looked about ready to bolt from the clearing, Hinata once again found the nerve to be assertive and darted forward to examine his hand. As she was preparing to suggest that they go use the first aid kit she usually packed in the picnic basket, Hinata found that Naruto's hand was completely healed. In fact, if it wasn't for the drying blood that covered his hand and sprinkled her own, she could almost convince herself that she had imagined it.

As the blonde shinobi fidgited under Hinata inquiring gaze, Naruto lamely offered, "I have always healed rather quickly." Shifting his gaze to anywhere but her eyes, Naruto noticed that Hinata's coat now sported a bloody handprint on her waist. Blushing in embarassment, Naruto mumbled, "I am sorry about your coat."

Looking down, Hinata noticed the hand print as well and blushed deeply. "Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun. M… Maybe you should go find Ino and I will see you tomorrow."

XXXXX

Ino soon found herself in her bedroom, mentally recounting the argument that had just taken place. However much she wanted to hate Naruto for what he had said, she could get past the emotions she had seen in his eyes right after he had broken the bowl. The cool, scathing tone he had used shortly thereafter had hurt her far more than the she would have thought possible for only having really known him for a couple of months.

'How could I have said that to him?' Ino thought as tears threatened to spill for her eyes. 'I know that he has not had an easy life, but, despite that, I go and throw it back in his face. I even went so far as to insult the parents of an orphan!' Ino sank further into her bed, as her heart seemed to sink even lower. She felt like one of the worst people on the planet. As she thought back to her childhood, Ino realized that her parents had been there every step of the way. They had been there to comfort her when she was sad, tend to her when she was sick, and teach her what it was to be a Yamanaka. Her father had taught her about psychology and about being a ninja, from how to throw a kunai to the basics of the family's techniques. Her mother had taught her about flowers, social graces, how to deal with people, and so on. She really couldn't imagine what her life would be like without their influence. 'To just sneer at his misfortune like that when I can't begin to imagine myself dealing with similar circumstances… Some friend I am.'

Sometime later Ino was shaken from her thoughts when she became aware of a light tapping on her window. As she opened it and looked outside, she found Naruto staring back at her, adhered to the side of her house with chakra. Despite the argument they had just had and the seriousness of the situation, a small giggle escaped Ino's lips at the sight before her. With a small smile in return, Naruto quietly asked, "Do you mind if I come in?" With a small shake of her head, Ino moved aside, allowing Naruto to enter her room. He took a seat on the corner of her bed while she ended up standing a couple of feet away.

After the two had endured a rather awkward silence, Ino decided to initiate the conversation. "So… what brings you here?" Ino cringed at how lame her question had sounded. Naruto, scratching the back of his head, began, "I think you know. I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier." Ino frowned as she crossed the room and sat on the bed a small distance away from him. She could remember every single syllable of what had been said, as if the conversation had been indelible burned into her mind. "You shouldn't have to apologize," Ino said, frowning. "I deserved what you said to me. I was being a total bitch."

After a moment, Naruto took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, you were. But I shouldn't have made those comments about you or your family. They were out of line and I am sorry." As he had apologized, Ino had shifted her position forward, causing her hair, having been freed from its traditional ponytail, to curtain her face. After a moment, Ino asked with a tone of insecurity, "Even if that's exactly what I did to you?"

Reaching out he gently brushed her hair out of her eyes before placing a finger under her chin to get her to look up at him. Naruto, blushing slightly, smiled as he began, "Hinata-chan summed up the situation pretty well after you left. Let's just chalk our comments up to our tempers getting the better of us. I don't think that either of us really meant what we said. Think we can still be friends?" Ino gave him a small smile in return and nodded. "Okay," she said quietly. She quickly looked away as she noticed that she had tears pooling in the corner of her eyes once again.

A silence fell upon the pair once again, but this time it was far more comfortable. After a couple of moments, Naruto broke it with a softly spoken statement. "I never even knew them."

At his barely audible statement, Ino turned and refocused her full attention of the young shinobi sitting beside her and asked, "What?"

"My parents… All I have is a letter."

Ino's guilt at having attacked Naruto in such a callus manner returned once again and she realized that she had not really apologized for her behavior. This guilt also kept her from prying into the details of his past, afraid that such action would destroy the fragile truce that had been so recently established. "I am sorry for what... happened earlier. I don't think I could imagine my life without my parents. I just want you to know that I really am sorry for saying those things. And… thank you, Naruto."

XXXXX

Hinata's nearly silent footfall seemed to echo in her ears as she approached a door she had come to associate with ridicule and heartache. It had been more than a year since she had been called into his study for a private conversation. Usually the level of interaction that took place during the family's meals was enough to satisfy her father. It had been her experience that private conversations with her father always resulted in criticism and general disapproval of her actions. What had she done recently to draw his attention?

Hinata's eyes widened as she gasped. 'Has he found out about my training with Naruto-kun? What if he has and decided that it is unbecoming a Hyuuga to interact with such a person? He had made his disapproval of Kiba and Inuzukas in general quite clear when he had discovered that I had first been placed on Team Eight. Will he express similar displeasure with Naruto-kun and forbid me from seeing him outside of my duties as a kunoichi?'

It took her a moment to realize that she had ceased walking; her hands clenched into fists and shaking slightly. She tried to calm down, as she had no idea what her father wanted to discuss. 'Is the thought of speaking to Father about an unknown topic enough to drive me to this?' The sad answer to her internal question was yes. Gathering her strength, Hinata continued her approach of her father's study, finding herself exhaling slowly in order to clear her troubled thoughts. Whatever her father had to say, it would only be made worse by an overly emotional display.

Reaching her destination, Hinata steeled herself and politely knocked on the doorframe. "Come in." Hiashi's formal, detached manner of speech caused Hinata to unconsciously stiffen before she opened the door.

Hiashi frowned internally as he was unused to taking actions based on conjecture and incomplete information. He had been unable to confirm or disprove the theory he had arrived at regarding the Uzumaki boy. A review of observation reports showed that the boy was adhering to a rather intensive physical and mental training program. Hiashi could only marvel at such extensive use of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu in an academic role. In addition to his training, he had frequent and regular meetings with the Hokage, the topics of which were unknown to everyone. This, in and of itself, was suspicious, but did not answer any questions.

Besides the information about his training, Hiashi was able to discover little else of value. The boy continued to live in the same apartment that he had occupied for years. The Kazama Compound was still secured by the unusual warding that had protected the buildings since the Yondaime's death. There was no evidence that the boy had made any extravagant purchases or expenditures that would support having gained access to the Kazama Clan's finances. His association with Maito Gai explained the only exception, the chakra weights he used in his training.

With the clan's influence, it had been easy to verify that the Kazama Trust was not showing any signs of unusual activity. A review of several years of the Trust's transactions showed that the only withdrawals had been related to the Clan's limited commercial interests and to the support those orphaned by the Kyuubi's attack.

Hiashi shuffled through the reports he had been reviewing prior to his daughter's arrival and set them aside. Looking up as his eldest daughter seated herself across the table, he could not help but notice that inborn grace she used in completing such a simple task. 'So much like her mother.' Ridding himself of the troubling thought, Hiashi began, "It has come to my attention that you have been training with the Yamanaka heir and the Uzumaki boy."

"Y… yes, Father. I… I have been meeting with them to train for couple weeks now. Both Yamanaka-san and Uzumaki-san were k… kind enough to allow me to practice with them."

Hiashi coolly observed his eldest daughter for a long moment before responding, "I would have preferred that you had been more forthcoming about your activities, but I am pleased that you are devoting so much of your free time to improving your skills. You are free to continue your training as long as you continue to act responsibly and do not neglect your duties to the clan." With that simple statement, Hiashi returned his attention to the various reports in front of him.

If she had not braced herself against an emotional outburst, Hinata was certain that she would have gasped in surprise and openly gaped at her father. Even with the rebuke, it was the closest that her father had come to a compliment in recent memory. It took Hinata a few moments to respond to her father's statement. "Th… Thank you, Father." Hinata gracefully rose and bowed respectfully to her father before padding silently out of the room.

A/N – Well it has been a long time since the last update. Sorry for the delay, but a vacation, an extended business trip, an additional unplanned business trip, and a case of writer's block conspired to delay the most recent chapter. I am still not quite pleased with how it came out, but I can't think of anything to improve upon. If it is any consolation, it is about the same length as the first three chapters combined. I hope it was worth the wait. The next chapter will be the start of the Wave Arc and will probably be considerably shorter. While keeping to the major events of canon, I hope to add my own interpretation.

Now, I will once again offer that those disposed to a specific pairing should wait a couple more chapters to see how things develop. It is a bit odd how divisive a character Hinata is for some people. Some will stop reading a story if she shows up while others will not read anything that she is not in. Hinata served and will continue to serve as a catalyst for character interaction and some future, non-canon events. Beyond that, you will just have to wait and see.

And finally, although the most recent manga chapters have invalidated the names I have been using for Naruto's parents, I am inclined to just continue with the ones I have been using. This is an AU and I am just partial to Kazama Arashi. Naruto: Namikaze Ascendant just doesn't have the same ring to it.

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	8. Chapter 8

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 08: The Walk to Wave

The mission room was a study in bureaucratic efficiency. On a typical day numerous low-level missions would be assigned to the various teams that streamed in through its doors. The missions were handled in this manner because they could be, as D and C ranked missions were generally straightforward and required minimal briefing and preparation.

The role of assigning the various missions was usually fulfilled by an experienced chuunin or a jounin. After all, it was not difficult to assign a genin team to paint a fence or a couple of chuunin to escort a jeweler back to their village. But on a rare occasion, the Hokage himself would assume the task of assigning these lower level missions as it allowed him to interact with his genin subordinates… to evaluate their progress and their manner, to gain a perspective independent of the countless files and mission reports that cluttered his office. Today was such a day…

The Hokage smiled idly as he sat behind the mission room's desk, reviewing the day's mission scrolls as Team Seven stood before him. It had been a little over two months since the newest genin class had graduated from the academy. In that time, the three new genin teams had completed numerous D-ranked missions on behalf of Konoha and its citizens.

While these missions played an important role in the growth of the genin teams and in the interaction between the ninja and civilian populations of Konoha, the Hokage was certain that these missions were wearing on the patience of the young ninja. He was certain that it was just a matter of time before one of them cracked. The Hokage was simply surprised by who cracked first.

"Hokage-sama, we've been doing nothing but D-Ranked missions for two months now! Can't we get a better mission? I know that we have met the official requirements to qualify for a higher ranked mission. The guidelines state that 'A genin team must complete a least twenty D-Ranked missions before a request for a C-Ranked mission should be considered.' We've completed nearly twice that number!"

Iruka, the Hokage's attendant for the day, rose to his feet and struck the desk with his hands to gain the attention of the ranting genin. "Sakura! I am shocked at your outburst. Show some respect! If you truly understood the guidelines, you would have observed that it stated that twenty D-Ranked missions is the MINIMUM requirement before a C-Ranked mission should even be CONSIDERED. Furthermore, it is the responsibilities of the Hokage and your team's jounin-sensei to determine your mission level!"

"Iruka..." The soft admonishment from the Hokage was enough to silence the scarred chuunin. The elder shinobi waited another moment as Iruka settled himself in his chair once again.

"They are indeed qualified for higher ranked missions. And it is not out of line to desire more challenging assignments." He glanced towards the young kunoichi that had spoken. While she had colored at Iruka's reprimand, she still managed to meet his gaze steadily.

'Hmmm… Interesting… It is not everyday that you find someone willing to yell at a Kage.' With a slight smile, the Hokage then shifted his gaze to another member of the Team Seven. "To be honest, I am surprised that Naruto hasn't demanded one already."

The blonde in question smiled sheepishly at the old man as he scratched the back of his head. He responded simply, "In all honesty, I haven't been all that worried about the missions. They usually only take a couple of hours and then I am free to train." The blonde's expression shifted slightly as he continued, "But it would be nice to do something more meaningful than walking someone's dog or painting a fence." As the Hokage's gaze passed over the third member of Team Seven, Sasuke grudgingly nodded his agreement with Naruto's statement.

The Hokage returned his gaze to Naruto and responded, "The one thing you should understand, Naruto, is that all missions, even D ranked missions, have meaning. Someone has gone out of their way to hire the ninja of this village to complete a task. For instance, I am sure the Fire Daimyo's sister has appreciated all your team's efforts with regard to 'rescuing' her cat. I am sure that all your team's hard work has been quite meaningful to her."

Naruto crossed his arms as he grumbled, "Yeah, well since we have had to find the cat five times, I am quite sure the cat doesn't appreciate it."

The Hokage chuckled at Naruto's sour expression before he glanced towards the seemingly oblivious sensei of Team Seven. "Kakashi, what is your opinion of your team's request?" The jounin looked up from his book and lazily glanced over his students. "Hmmm… I suppose they could handle a C-ranked mission."

The Hokage nodded, before continuing, "Excellent. Team Seven, I believe I have the perfect mission for you. It's an escort mission with no distinct threats. You are to escort a bridge builder, Tazuna-san, back to Wave Country and protect him from any bandits and highwaymen you may encounter along the way. It is perfect for a new genin team's first C-Ranked mission." Turning his attention towards the guards at the door, the Sandaime called out, "Please send in Tazuna-san."

There was only a short delay before an old man staggered through the door. He was clothed in a sleeveless black shirt and carrying a traveling pack. While the man was unremarkable, Naruto noticed that his hands were heavily scarred and callused, indicating a lifetime of hard work. The man's gait and general appearance also indicated that he was drunk, despite the early hour.

The old man took a drink from the bottle he was carrying before dismissively glancing over the individuals before him. "These brats are supposed to guard me? They look weak and pathetic…, especially the midget."

Kakashi's move to restrain Naruto proved to be unnecessary as Naruto chose to respond verbally. With a derisive snort, Naruto began, "As if I care about what you think. While I may be short, I will grow taller over the next couple of years. You, on the other hand, will probably remain a broken down drunk in serious need of a bath."

The drunken man flushed in embarrassment at the comment and exclaimed, "You have some nerve insulting your employer! You must be even stupider than you look!"

Naruto continued as he folded his arms across his chest, "What does it say about you that you are insulting the people that are to guard your life against bandits and such? That doesn't sound very smart to me. This 'stupid midget' may decide to live up to your expectations when you are about to have your throat slit by a…" Kakashi chose that moment to end Naruto's commentary with a strategically placed hand.

The lazy jounin turned his attention towards his team's client. "Please don't worry, Tazuna-san. My team is well trained and capable of protecting you from any bandits we may encounter on your return to Wave Country. You have nothing to worry about." The dull, distracted monotone in which Kakashi delivered this statement seemed to make the bridge builder nervous.

XXXXX

Sakura glanced back down the road they had been traveling down for sometime. The gates of Konoha had long since disappeared from view, leaving the young kunoichi with an uneasy feeling. The forests surrounding Konoha towered over the road they were traveling, leaving the surrounding area mottled with shadow. As they had traveled further from the village, the traffic had decreased rapidly so that Team Seven and their client were all alone on the road to Wave Country. It had been easy to appear confident and assertive in the familiar halls of Hokage Tower, but now the mission seemed so much more challenging… so much more real.

In all honesty, she didn't know what had driven her to snap at the Hokage. All she knew was that she could not stand another day of the same routine. Sakura sighed heavily as she reflected on what had become of her life. She had been so optimistic for the first few days of her ninja career. Her parents had been so proud of her for graduating from the academy, for becoming the first Haruno ninja in three generations. She had been so proud of herself for succeeding as well; her academic standing had been the highest in the class. She had even been placed on the same team as her Sasuke-kun, beating out Ino-pig and all the other kunoichi in her class.

The young kunoichi glanced towards the raven-haired shinobi that had occupied her thoughts for a good part of the last few years. The serious young man was the epitome of what a ninja should be: skilled, controlled, confident… On top of this he was very handsome and possessed a certain air about him that just called to her.

During her time at the academy, Sakura had convinced herself that if she could simply get Sasuke away from all the distractions of the academy, namely Ino and the other girls, she would be able to impress him with her beauty and intelligence. When they had been placed on the same team, Sakura was certain that Kami was smiling upon her.

Sakura drew her gaze away from her raven haired teammate as her mind continued to wander. Assignment to Team Seven was supposed to give them the opportunity to get to know each other. 'We were to train together, work together, eat together… generally spend time together. Sasuke would come to realize that we are well matched and we would fall in love, and then…' Sakura shook her head to escape the clutches of the familiar daydream.

But, despite trying a number of different tactics, Sakura was not having any luck in breaking Sasuke out of his shell. It didn't help that all her carefully laid plans seemed to simply fall apart after graduation. First, her visions of impressing Sasuke were crushed by Kakashi-sensei's awful bell test. Instead of showcasing her skills, it had resulted in her utter humiliation in front of Sasuke. Next, her plans of spending time with Sasuke in more casual surroundings were left unrealized as Team Seven never fell into the camaraderie and social patterns that she had heard about from older ninja or even the other genin teams.

In reality, team meetings were generally strained and awkward and missions were completed in near silence. All of her attempts to talk to Sasuke were one sided and were eventually brushed aside. The silence sometimes became excruciatingly awkward. If anything Sasuke's treatment of her was a bit more painful than it had been at the academy as she could no longer delude herself into thinking that he was just shy in large groups.

Partly in frustration and partly to avoid the awkward silences, the pink haired kunoichi had resorted to filling the silence with whatever topics had come to mind. Sadly she had fallen back on a habit that had filled much of her time at the academy: berating and insulting Naruto. But instead of relieving the tension by sparking a conversation or even a grunt of agreement, these comments had led to greater difficulties and only served to exacerbate the silence.

That was only after she suffered from a rather scathing tirade from Sasuke. Given his previous behavior towards the blonde baka, the young kunoichi had been shocked speechless by the fact that Sasuke had taken such exception to a couple of her comments about Naruto. 'Why would he actually defend the individual he referred to as the Dobe?' If that wasn't strange enough, even Kakashi-sensei, their perpetually late and lazy instructor, had later defended Naruto. Sakura sighed as she glanced at her blonde teammate. 'I mean, what is the big deal? It is just Naruto.'

It was ironic that what she should have considered to be the one bright spot of her life since she had graduated from the academy would turn out to be so troubling and problematic. For years, Naruto had been constantly underfoot: making unwanted declarations of affection, insulting Sasuke, asking her for dates, etc. But since they had become part of Team Seven, he had finally gotten a clue and had started to give her some space. While there had been a few requests to train together, the blonde idiot had eventually given up this tactic and started to concentrate on his basic chakra exercises.

Glancing over at the blonde again, Sakura found him practicing them even now, despite the fact that we were on a mission. From what she could determine he had combined a couple of them into an odd little game. First, he would toss the ball before him and try to catch it with a chakra string before it hit the ground. Then he would swing it in an arc and catch in his hand, using chakra so that it didn't actually touch his hand. Finally, he would use his chakra to spin the ball above his hand at such speed that the white stripe became a blur. After a couple of seconds, he would repeat the process.

Shaking her head at the blonde's odd behavior, Sakura returned to her own thoughts. Oddly enough, Naruto's shift in behavior had turned out to be a mixed blessing. Without Naruto chasing after her with annoying comments and constant cries for attention, things had become too quiet, contributing to the awkwardness of the Team Seven situation. The shift, while welcome, had actually caused her to become a bit lonelier than she would have been otherwise.

It had taken her a couple of weeks, but Sakura eventually admitted to herself that Naruto had played a significant role in her life while they had been at the academy and that his shift in behavior troubled her a bit. Whenever she had been feeling down, whether due to Sasuke rejecting her offers of friendship or another reason, Naruto had always been at hand with a flattering comment and a smile. She was smart enough to realize that these comments, however unwelcome at the time, had served to increase her self-esteem. It had been heartening to know that whatever rejections she had suffered or insults she had endured, that there had been at least one constant.

But now that constant had become variable, contributing to the uncertainty of her new situation. Without the daily happenings of the academy, without the heated exchanges with Ino, without need to rebuff Naruto's advances, she had nothing to do. She had not felt this lonely since her days before she had met Ino.

Sighing heavily, Sakura reflected that she only had herself to blame for her lack of friends. Other than Sasuke, she had little interest in socializing with any of the shinobi that had attended the academy. And during her final years at the academy, she had gone out of her way to alienate most of the other kunoichis due to their pursuit of Sasuke. The most blatant and far-reaching of such actions had been her decision to return Ino's red ribbon, the symbol of their friendship. Ever since that day, the day that she had declared them to be rivals, their relationship had become far more antagonistic.

A scowl settled on the pink haired kunoichi's features as she remembered her words to Ino only a couple of days ago. Her former best friend had greeted her warmly, but it had taken less than thirty seconds for the two of them to begin exchanging insults. It was amazing how years of friendship had degenerated to the point where each used their knowledge of the other to try and cause the most emotional pain.

To take the edge off her loneliness she had suffered since joining Team Seven, Sakura had thrown herself into her studies. If nothing else, the cursed bell test had served to highlight that she needed to improve her genjutsu skills to avoid embarrassing herself in the future. But she had reached a point where her studies could not advance without working with someone else. She needed a test subject, someone to give feedback… to give advice and encouragement… What she needed was a teammate.

But therein lay the problem. Sasuke had rejected her request to train together out of hand and Kakashi-sensei was just so… unapproachable. And, despite Naruto being the only logical alternative, Sakura just couldn't bring herself to approach the blonde shinobi. Such an action would only serve to reignite his obsession and even her loneliness and need for a training partner hadn't brought her to the point where she wanted to deal with that again.

And so two months had passed and she had finally snapped. 'Maybe this will be a turning point. Maybe this mission will give me the opportunity to impress Sasuke and he will become more receptive to training together. After all, it was MY actions that convinced Hokage-sama to give us a C ranked mission.'

XXXXX

The rush of adrenaline quickly began to fade as Naruto watched Kakashi-sensei secure the two enemy shinobi. The sudden shift from a boring walk down a deserted road to fending off the attacks of an enemy ninja had left little time for thought or planning. Only the pain radiating from his injured hand and shoulder convinced him that it had not been some sort of surreal daydream. Naruto shook his head as he tried to mentally organize the events that had taken place only moments before.

Team Seven had been traveling towards Wave Country for the better part of the day. Naruto had never traveled more than a small distance beyond the city's wall, so the prospect of seeing other parts of the Fire Country, let alone a whole different country, excited him to no end.

The massive trees that surrounded Konoha had given way to smaller, more scattered foliage, actually allowing the sun to break through the gloom that sheltered the roads surrounding Konoha. By late afternoon, Team Seven had had already traveled a good distance away from Konoha, actually passing through a couple of small farming villages that sustained the village. So, while the excitement waned slightly as the journey continued, the shifting landscape still provided an interesting distraction.

The quiet walk through the deserted countryside was interrupted by a startled yell from Sakura. Naruto spun around just in time to see two ninja, each wielding a large gauntlet, envelope Kakashi-sensei in the length of chain and run in opposite directions. Naruto felt his stomach clinch as Kakashi-sensei exploded a second later in a shower of blood and gore, which only caused Sakura to shriek even louder. After only a moment, both ninjas swept off to the side of the road, the length of chain clinging lightly in the stillness of the forest road. They paused for a moment as they scanned the remaining members of Team Seven and began moving towards Tazuna.

Naruto, startled by Kakashi's violent end, was just beginning to react when Sasuke used a kunai and a shuriken to immobilize the chain connecting the two shinobi. This action only delayed the pair for a moment before the chain fell away from the gauntlets with a whisper of sound as the two flowed seamlessly into a new attack. The pair separated as they moved to engage the remaining members of Team Seven.

One the ninja headed directly towards Naruto, the odd mask giving the approaching ninja's breathing a creepy rasping sound. A second later, Naruto found himself dodging a series of rapid of swipes from the ninja as he backpedaled away from the razor sharp blades of the gauntlet. Naruto first inclination had been to parry the weapon with a kunai, but deep slashes on the back of his hand attested to the fact that this had proven to be a less than stellar tactic. The young ninja gritted his teeth in frustration as he dodged another series of attacks. The longer reach of the enemy ninja coupled with his gauntlet was keeping him on the defensive.

Naruto stumbled slightly, but it was enough. The bladed gauntlet caught him on the shoulder, slicing through the layers of cloth and cutting into the muscle. The blonde shinobi hissed in pain and he felt a moment of panic descend on him. But before the emotion could gain a foothold, something else took over.

Time seemed to slow as Naruto observed his opponent's position relative to his own. In what seemed like an eternity to the young ninja, he noted that his enemy had overextended himself in order to land the blow. Images of his countless fights with Lee and Ino flashed through his mind and then... Suddenly, his hands snapped forward, one immobilizing the still withdrawing gauntlet and the other reaching towards the ninja's elbow. With a sickening pop the attacking ninja joint gave way, leaving his primary weapon useless.

Naruto took advantage of his opponent's proximity and used his hold on his opponent to step inside the ninja's guard. In a flurry of attacks, Naruto began to almost systematically take his opponent apart. Hobbling him with a kick to the leg, denying him breath with a staggering knee to the abdomen and a rabbit punch to the throat… The attacks continued until Naruto found himself relentlessly pounding his fists into the now prone ninja's masked face. Naruto's assault had just torn the ninja's breathing mask away when his next blow was caught from behind. Naruto turned and almost attacked before the familiar shock of silverish gray hair came into view. The jounin instructor wordless removed his student from his opponent and focused his full attention of the enemy ninja.

Naruto's shock of Kakashi-sensei's survival quickly dissipated as the jounin-sensei produced a length of wire and bound the now unconscious ninja. The jounin instructor then offered a quick analysis of his observations about the attack's target. In the same bored tone that he always used, the jounin explained that the two ninja were called the Demon Brothers of Kiri, missing nins specializing in coordinated, high speed attacks, specifically assassinations.

Naruto paused in his mental analysis of the fight to observe the present. Sasuke was staring emotionlessly at Kakashi-sensei as he interrogated the enemy ninja about the possibility of other threats. Sakura was hovering near their teammate, looking torn between fear of what had just taken place and congratulating the Uchiha survivor on his performance. Tazuna simply watched Kakashi with a resigned air.

As Kakashi continued to interrogate the two ninja, Naruto's mind began to wander once again. 'How long did the fighting last? Thirty seconds? A minute?' As the young ninja reflected on the fight, he realized that, from start to finish, the altercation couldn't have been much more than that. But in the small amount of time, countless blows had been exchanged, with most having been blocked, dodged, or diverted. It seemed like such a simple thing at the time, but his movements had been automatic, almost without conscious thought.

If nothing else, the fight served to hammer home one of the lessons the Hokage had emphasized during their discussions. 'The reason why we train to such degree is that the ninja arts must become nearly instinctual for a ninja to survive. In a heated battle a single minute is an eternity and a second's hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. Hundreds of hours of training can crystallize into a split second decision.'

Before Naruto could pursue this line of thought further, a comment from the blonde shinobi's jounin instructor shook the boy from his mental wanderings. "Naruto, you did well in defeating your opponent, but you shouldn't have concentrated your attention solely on the one enemy ninja. There may have been other ninja simply waiting for you to become so distracted."

As the jounin instructor had returned to where the rest of the team was waiting and had resumed his memorization of his infamous orange book, it was obvious that Kakashi had finished securing the two ninjas for pickup. Naruto was prepared to defend his actions, before he reflected briefly on what Kakashi-sensei had said.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he had been focused solely on his own opponent as he dodged the flurry of attacks. Realizing that, in the midst of the fight, he had lost sight of protecting the bridge builder, Naruto reluctantly nodded his acceptance of the criticism.

"Such a Dobe…"

Naruto rounded on and sneered at the abrasive Uchiha as he responded, "At least I didn't need Kakashi-sensei to help me finish my opponent. If you had done your job, then there would not have been any threat to the client."

Sasuke's confident smirk fell away as the two male genin glared at each other.

"That is enough you two. Naruto, please see to your wounds and pay particular attention to potential poisons. Kiri ninjas are known for applying poisons and other drugs to their weapons."

Naruto cringed, as he hadn't even considered poisons and such. Moving the arm he had injured, Naruto noticed a strange prickling sensation that had spread from the injury. With a subdued grimace, Naruto thought, 'It seems like the antidotes that Hinata-chan gave me will be put to use far sooner than anticipated.'

"Meanwhile, we have more important matters to discuss… Isn't that right, Tazuna-san?" The resigned bridge builder seemed to deflate further under Kakashi's glare.

XXXXX

Naruto walked a short distance away as the bridge builder offered an explanation of his actions. Finding a fallen tree along the side of the road, Naruto removed his jacket to attend to his injured shoulder. As he placed the jacket of the ground, he noticed the rough leather gauntlets, which held his chakra weights in place. For a long moment, the young shinobi could only gape in shock at the forgotten accessories.

'Stupid weights… I probably wouldn't have been hurt if I had simply removed them before the mission. But… Should I remove them?' Naruto frowned in thought as Gai-sensei's advice about training came into conflict with his common sense.

After a moment, Naruto decided to remove the weights and place them in the bottom of his pack. After all, he would rather train twice as hard later than have to deal with another injury. Having accomplished his task, Naruto quickly downed one of Hinata's antidotes and cleaned the blood from his shoulder. While he had observed his bloodline in action several times over the last few months, he could only marvel as he wiped the drying blood away to reveal unmarked skin.

Replacing his jacket, the blonde shinobi shouldered his pack as he rose to rejoin his team with a bounce in his step. Despite having just been injured in a fight, the young shinobi could help but feel energized at the removal of the chakra weights.

XXXXX

When Naruto returned, he found the other members of Team Seven gathered around Tazuna, listening to his reasons for deceiving them. As the bridge builder's speech continued Sakura became even more nervous. 'A powerful crime lord with the resources to hire chuunin and jounin assassins is a hundred times more dangerous than protecting a drunken old man from some bandits.' When Kakashi suggested that the team may need to return to Konoha due to the increased danger, Sakura decided to voice her support for the idea.

Just as she was about to expand on to her reasons for returning to Konoha, Naruto's voice cut across the conversation, "Yeah, that will look good in a report. 'Team Seven requested a C-ranked mission and, at the first sign of difficulty, returned to the village with their tails tucked between their legs.'" Naruto crossed his arms, focusing his attention on his pink haired teammate, as he continued, "Aren't you the one who was demanding this mission? You practically yelled at old man Hokage that you were ready for…"

Sakura spun fully towards the blonde shinobi as she colored from embarrassment and anger; embarrassment at her earlier behavior and anger at Naruto throwing it back in her face. "Shut up, Naruto!!!"

Naruto glared at the girl before turning his gaze to the side. "Just don't go around acting like you care by using MY injury as YOUR excuse for returning to Konoha. Your motives are as transparent as your fake concern. You may be a coward, but I am not."

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke up to cut off any further arguments, "Naruto…"

Naruto glared momentarily at the jounin before he continued, "Look, we accepted the mission and I say we finish the mission. Just because it is a little more difficult than we expected is no reason to give up. We represent Konoha and we need to act like it." Naruto looked towards Sakura once again. "I am quite sure that most clients are not interested in hiring ninja that run away at the first sign of trouble."

XXXXX

The camp was silent except for the sound of crickets in the surrounding forest as Naruto's watch shift entered its third hour. Normally it was uncommon to mount a continuous watch within the borders of Fire Country, but Kakashi had deemed it prudent, both as a training exercise and an object lesson. The team had not offered any resistance as the day's events still troubled each of them to varying degrees. So each genin took their turn in guarding their client and the rest of their team against the unknown dangers of the night.

When Kakashi had roused Naruto for his shift, the jounin had asked him to reflect on why he was so hard on Sakura earlier in the day. Initially, the young shinobi had mentally scoffed that he had been hard on the girl, that he had anything to think about. It wasn't his fault that the girl expected to be coddled with safe, harmless missions. But it was her fault for trying to use him to justify her cowardice.

He had simply responded how he always had when others looked down upon him or pitied him. After a bit of reflection, Naruto abandoned this initial position that nothing had changed… that he was acting as he always had towards his pink haired teammate. It was difficult to delude yourself when you are alone in the dark.

So Naruto sat quietly and reflected on his actions regarding Sakura. Quite a bit had changed over the past two months. He remembered days that would not have been complete without at least catching a glimpse of the pink haired girl. His heart would race and he would find himself honestly smiling at her mere presence. Of course, that was before they had been placed on the same team… before Sakura had shown her true colors.

While Sakura had never been shy about her dislike for him, she had been unusually concise on that day. He had also been out of sorts during the days that followed the genin test. While most would expect him to be angry with the girl for what she had said, he couldn't help but feel a bit grateful now. After all, however cruel the statements, they had served to open his eyes.

Naruto frowned as he recalled the first days with Team Seven. It had been painful for a couple of days, but Naruto now realized that he hadn't thought about Sakura as anything other than an annoying teammate in quite some time. It seemed a bit odd as he saw her several times a week during team meetings and missions, but he realized that he didn't feel anything special about her anymore.

'You must really be a fickle bastard to go from 'loving' someone to indifference in a couple of days.' But the blonde shinobi was now willing to admit that he hadn't really known all that much about her before they had become teammates. And the things that he had learned since then did not endear her to him at all.

'She is judgmental and superficial… She complains constantly about missions, training, bugs, the sun, the heat, and just about everything else. She still blindly defends Sasuke-teme, when even I can tell that such remarks and actions will be dismissed disdainfully by the emo bastard.' Naruto had come to realize that Sakura had always been this way, even at the academy.

It was a bit depressing that Sakura, someone's attention he had sot for several years, had proven to be so… shallow. 'Perhaps this feeling of disappointment has translated into me being more critical of Sakura than I would be otherwise. That I am angrier with myself than with the girl.' That he would be that petty bothered him, but the young shinobi came to an odd realization about himself; the fact that he had placed such a high value on her attention made him feel like an idiot. It was not pretty when a rather childish crush interacted with his near obsessive need for approval and recognition. Not wanting to think about his lack of social skills anymore, Naruto dismissed the topic with, 'I will just have to be more careful if it happens again.'

With a heavy sigh, Naruto began to evaluate how his treatment of Sakura was simply one of several changes that he had noticed in himself over the past several weeks. While the changes had been subtle at first, they seemed to grow and gain momentum with each passing day. Subtle shifts in behavior, changes in his vocabulary… they had been fairly easy to ignore on a daily basis, but cumulatively they resulted in major shifts in both his personality and actions in a little over two months time.

Previous to his graduation for the academy, he had a relatively simple outlook on life. He had wanted attention and acknowledgement of his existence. Not caring if the attention was good or bad, he had sot it from any available source. Playing pranks…, shouting at the top of his lungs…, generally making it impossible for others to ignore him.

Now, he sot approval from a far more limited group: the Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Gai-sensei, Lee, old man Ichiraku, Ayame, and, most recently, Ino-chan and Hinata-chan. The opinions of most of the other villagers did not matter as much as they once had and he felt as if a great weight he been lifted off his shoulders.

Naruto knew what had caused most of his behavioral shifts… Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He had considered the effects of Kage Bunshin on a couple of occasions, but never had the effects been more obvious than in his personal relationships. While he had always been lonely, the isolation instilled by the technique had made him more introspective… and more appreciative of those the showed him kindness. Conversations with old man Hokage and Iruka-sensei were even more highly valued than before his graduation. The time he spent training with Lee, Ino-chan, and Hinata-chan were the highlights of his day.

Naruto rose from his position and looked towards the partial moon that peaked through the trees overhead. While he thought most of these changes had been to his benefit, he could not help but be saddened by the passing of an era. With a shake of his head, the blonde shinobi padded towards Sasuke's position to wake him for his watch.

XXXXX

Time began to crawl for Team Seven as the mission continued. Any conversation between the five individuals had been silenced by the events three days past. The younger members of Team Seven remained highly alert, continuously scanning the fog obscured landscape for threats.

Since they had left the boat that had brought them to Wave Country, there had been a certain tension in the air that made the hairs on the back of Naruto's neck stand on end. Kakashi had informed them that he fully expected that they would be attacked again before they reached their destination. And at this point, they were less than an hour's trek from Tazuna's house.

Suddenly, Kakashi yells for everyone to get down as he pushes Sakura out of the way. Naruto and Sasuke push Tazuna down as they followed Kakashi's instructions. As it was, they were only a hair's breath away from the blade of the massive sword that cut through the air they had occupied only a second before. The giant sword continued on its path as it embedded itself in a tree. In a blur of motion, a ninja appeared, standing on the swords extended handle.

The ninja was… strange looking. The ninja was fairly tall with a lanky but muscular build. He wore leather strap across his otherwise bare chest and grey camouflage pants. While a wrapping of bandages obscured most of the man's facial features, his dark eye bore into the collection of ninja arrayed before him. He silently evaluated Team Seven, spending the most time on Kakashi-sensei. After a long moment, the ninja offered in a gruff voice, "Hand over the old man and I may let you live."

For some reason, the dismissal implied in the statement irritated Naruto to no end. The blonde shinobi angrily responded, "How about you shove…?!?!"

Kakashi cut off his headstrong student before he could complete his suggestion. "Naruto, calm down. He is on a totally different level than our other opponents. Just focus on protecting Tazuna while I take care of him."

The ninja snorted at Naruto's outburst before once again focusing on Kakashi. Naruto bristled slightly as the unknown ninja dismissed him out of hand. "Ah, the famous Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi. I presume that you are the reason that the Demon brothers were defeated so easily?"

Kakashi shrugged in response to the question. "Momochi Zabuza, A ranked missing nin known as the Demon of Kirigakure. I am surprised that someone of your reputation would lower themselves to work for the likes Gatou."

Zabuza gave an indifferent shrug of his own from his perch, continuing the evaluate Kakashi as he responded, "It pays the bills. But, regardless of my motives, you should hand over the old man or I will have to take him by force. It would really be a shame to wipe out your team of snot nosed brats."

Kakashi stiffened almost imperceptively at the comment. A moment later, the Konoha jounin sighed and stated, "In that case, it looks like I may have need of this." Reaching up, Kakashi repositioned his hitai-ate, removing its metallic surface from his left eye. From his position, Naruto was able to see that normally hidden eye appeared to still be intact, despite a scar which appeared to cut across its location.

A dark chuckle escaped Zabuza, who bowed theatrically as he intoned, "Ah, the famous Sharingan eye. I am honored."

Naruto's expression shifted from interest to shock as he considered what the former Kiri ninja had said. He had never thought that his sensei possessed the fabled bloodline of the Uchiha Clan. 'Does that mean he is related to Sasuke? If so, why didn't the jounin step in when the rest of Sasuke's clan was killed? Speaking of Sasuke…'

Naruto glanced at his emo teammate to see if he had known about this. The blonde shinobi found Sasuke's normally unreadable face wearing a shocked expression that must have mirrored his own. It did not take a genius to conclude that this revelation was just as much of a surprise to him as it was to Naruto… that he had no knowledge of what Kakashi had kept hidden from them.

Still chuckling, Zabuza jumped to the ground and removed the enormous sword from the tree. Naruto watched in fascination as the missing nin wielded the massive blade as if weighed nothing at all. The nin shouldered the blade as he intoned, "But that eye won't help you here."

Kakashi drew a kunai as he ordered, "Take defensive positions and focus on protecting Tazuna. I'll take care of Zabuza."

"Really? You sound so certain. Kirigakure no Jutsu."

Naruto's breathe hitched as the fog thickened at an astounding rate, cutting visibility to a couple of feet in seconds. An eerie silence enveloped the Team Seven's position as the air became filled with a heavy menace that had not been there a moment before. Naruto recalled the same feeling, albeit weaker, being radiated by some of the ninja during his childhood. For a long moment the suffocating silence held before Zabuza's voice echoed throughout the clearing, "Where should I strike?" The three genin scanned the fog a bit frantically in an attempt to locate the owner of the voice.

"Eight spots… Eight critical points that mean almost certain death… the liver, lung, spine, clavicle vein, jugular artery, brain, kidney, and the heart… So many choices and so little time…"

Suddenly, demonstrating the same breath taking speed as Kakashi right before the bell test, Zabuza appeared among the three arrayed around Tazuna. Before any of the young ninja could react, Kakashi appeared next to Zabuza and reduced the missing nin to a puddle of water. 'Mizu Bunshin…' was the only thought to cross Naruto's mind as he watched a succession of water clones destroy each other. Kakashi appeared to win the Bunshin duel a moment before another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi and nearly sliced the Konoha ninja in half. Kakashi was able to avoid the massive blade, but was launched towards the water a short distance away when Zabuza transferred the momentum of the first attack into a roundhouse kick.

In a blur of motion, the Kiri jounin appeared beside the waterlogged Kakashi and intoned, "Idiot. Suiton: Suirou no Jutsu! Now that you are taken care of, it time to take care of the old man." Forming a series of one handed seals, the jounin executed, Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu once again, causing the water along the shore to form into another water clone.

"Take Tazuna and run! There is no chance that you can win against Zabuza."

The Mizu Bunshin paused in it movements as if curious to see if the genin would abandon their jounin instructor. Naruto had known his decision before Kakashi had even finished speaking. Tightening is grip on the kunai held loosely in his hand, Naruto intoned, "Those who break the rules of the ninja world are trash, but those that abandon of their comrades are worst than trash." Zabuza couldn't help but smirk at the statement, 'At least they are not cowards.'

Zabuza's clone charged the gathered genin, but Naruto surged forward at the same moment and met it half way. As the genin charged the advancing Bunshin, Naruto distantly heard Sakura as she screamed, "Naruto!" Whether due to the blonde genin's unexpected speed or the limitations of Mizu Bunshin, Naruto managed to slide under the clone's attack and reduce it to a puddle of water.

Naruto glanced briefly at his teammates before he devoted his whole attention on the missing nin once again. He had been lucky once, but he could not count on surprise this time. Speaking up so that his teammates would hear him, Naruto called out, "Mizu Bunshins are delicate and possess only a fraction of the original's abilities. If the surface of the skin is ruptured, the jutsu is disbursed."

Zabuza, apparently irritated that his Mizu Bunshin had been dispersed, quickly summoned a half dozen more. "You were lucky the first time, but you don't have what it takes to be my opponent." Naruto summoned three dozen Kage Bunshins in hopes of over whelming the advancing water clones.

The former Kiri jounin observed the scene with a bit more interest than before. 'Hmm… Kage Bunshin… both sealless and quite a number of them too. This kid is more than he appears.'

Meanwhile, Naruto was beginning to become very nervous. 'That will not slow them down long now that the jounin knows what to expect. I just need an idea…' With a flash of inspiration, the blonde shinobi returned to where he had left his pack and yelled out, "Hey Sasuke, I have a plan."

The young Uchiha tore his eyes from the escalating Bunshin melee to find the blonde shinobi digging through his pack looking for something. "So now you want to work together?"

"Just shut up and take care of the Kiri bastard!!!" And with that admonishment, Naruto threw the familiar form of a Fuuma shuriken towards the Uchiha survivor.

Sasuke caught the weapon, thinking, 'Since when does the Dobe carry around a Fuuma shuriken?' Testing the feel, Sasuke could tell that something was different about the weapon. Glancing towards the blonde once again, he found that the blonde wore a small smirk which looked out of place in the panicked environment. For some reason, he trusted the blonde and proceeded with the ruse. In a smooth motion, the Uchiha withdrew his own weapon and prepared to attack.

XXXXX

Zabuza observed that the mass of Kage Bunshin was falling before his clones, but not without loses. 'Oh well, there are more where those came from.' Just as he was about to summon another batch to finish the job, a Fuuma shuriken cut through a number of clones as it raced towards his position.

'Pathetic…' Calmly reaching out, the former Kiri jounin easily plucked the Fuuma shuriken out of the air. A split second later, the jounin's eyes widened as he observed that the weapon was preceding another which had been hiding in its shadow. The jounin nimbly jumped over the second weapon, still maintaining his control of the water prison holding Kakashi.

'These brats are becoming bothersome.' The thought had barely registered when the telltale pop of a transformation occurred behind him. Zabuza turns his head to find that the second Fuuma shuriken had transformed into the blonde genin and that he thrown a kunai at his arm. While he is surprised by the attack, Zabuza is unperturbed as he attempts to shift his arm out of the kunai's path. While he managed to maintain the water prison jutsu, the kunai managed to cut his arm. Furious at having been wounded by a snot-nosed brat, Zabuza landed and prepared to finish off the pest. The Fuuma shuriken he caught moments before begins to spin as the former Kiri jounin asked, "Did you think I would fall for such a pathetic trick?!?!"

The now bobbing Naruto mockingly responds, "No. That attack was merely a distraction within a distraction." After making that statement, the blonde genin grinned broadly before he dissipated in a cloud of smoke.

Zabuza whirled around towards to the shore only to find a dozen more bunshins launching kunai at him. What had been a problematic attack became disastrous when the kunai barrage multiplied itself a hundred times over. The wall of steel flying towards the former mist jounin literally blotted out his view of the shore. Without a second thought, Zabuza dove under the water towards the shore. 'Those insolent whelps!!! I'll rip them apart!!!"

Naruto's blood was pounding in his ears as he realized he was mere moments from confronting a pissed off jounin. Glancing back towards Tazuna, Naruto found a group of Kage Bunshins shuffling the old man and Sakura into the forest as another pair of Kage Bunshins henged into a likeness of the bridge builder and his teammate. It would probably only buy the old man a couple of seconds, but that could make all the difference.

Glancing towards the ninja standing a short distance away, Naruto experiences a moment of irritation at how stoic and controlled the Uchiha appears. 'We are being charged by an A class missing nin and the teme is barely concerned? What a Teme!!!' Shaking off the illogical thought, Naruto calls out, "Sasuke, we have to hit him when he leaves the water."

The Uchiha survivor grunted in agreement, too distracted by the real possibility of death to reprimand the Dobe for stating the obvious.

At the first sign of movement, Naruto and his Kage Bunshin unleashed another barrage of Kunai while a massive gout of flame erupted from Sasuke. The two genin watched in horror as Zabuza appeared above the jutsus, prepared to bring his massive blade to bear on them. The jounin had closed half the distance to the genin when he suddenly swung the blade around as a shield and braced himself.

A blur of color slammed into the missing nin a split second later, sending him careening off to the side. A second flash of movement caused the two genin to sigh in relief. Kakashi-sensei, obviously having escaped the water prison, landed a couple of yards away from his team and glanced towards Zabuza. Despite his sodden appearance, Kakashi still managed to affect an apathetic air as he inquired, "Did you forget about me?"

Raising his voice to include his team, Kakashi added, "Excellent teamwork, but I will take it from here." The jounin dropped any hint of indifference as he returned his full attention towards Zabuza. "The same technique won't work on me twice. It's time to finish this."

The two jounin momentarily vanished as they returned to the water. Moments later, the experienced shinobi immediately began to form hand seals at an astounding rate. Naruto gasped in shock at the results. Two shimmering dragons composed of a massive amount of water rose over a hundred feet in the air and immediately began to attack each other. The sight of the highly destructive and breathtaking chakra constructs fighting for dominance before him caused Naruto to swallow heavily as he realized the he still had a long way to go before he could even consider fighting someone of Kakashi's or Zabuza's caliber.

As the two dragons fell back into the water, the two jounins started running through another series of hand seals. After having witnessed the pervious exchange, Naruto became concerned that this confrontation would also result in a stalemate. But Kakashi was faster this time and unleashed his technique before Zabuza finished his sequence. Kakashi's jutsu sent a massive amount of water violently surged in all directions. Due to his close proximity to the other jounin, Zabuza was swept away moment later, unable to escape the jutsu's area of effect.

The three genin and their charge were forced to jump or were dragged into the trees to avoid being washed away by the onslaught of water. As the water began to recede, the Konoha genin observed Zabuza struggling to his feet nearby, obviously in a great deal of pain. It was easy to surmise that the missing nin had been swept ashore and slammed painfully into the trees along the water.

Naruto began to breathe easier as Kakashi-sensei, looking confident and in control, reappeared and began to approach the other jounin's location. Naruto's confidence was short lived as two senbon needles flashed through the air and pierced Zabuza's neck. The jounin's eyes widen in shock a spilt second before he collapsed without a sound. The moment the senbon hit Zabuza, Naruto summoned a number of Kage Bunshins and turned to face the new threat.

Looking up, the Konoha ninja found a masked nin standing on one of the branches. The mask looked similar to those worn by the ANBU with the animal design having been replaced with a monochrome swirl. The person hidden by the mask wore clothing that seemed designed for freedom of movement. Their size indicated that they were young, perhaps even the same age as the members of Team Seven.

Tired and irritated by the tension of the last couple of days, Naruto called out, "Who the hell are you?!?! And what the hell are you doing by interfering?"

Kakashi turned to face the intruder, internally reprimanding himself for being lax. 'Well, this is embarrassing. I just did the same thing that I reprimanded Naruto for a couple of days ago. But then again, only a skilled individual could sneak up on me like that. Hmmm… It would be problematic to try and fight in my current condition and with my team ill prepared for the task. I guess it is time to play dumb and live to fight another day.'

Glancing towards the blonde genin, Kakashi states, "Relax Naruto, he is not our enemy." Addressing the new arrival, he continues, "Greetings, Hunter nin. I gather that you are after Zabuza here."

The hunter nin shifted his position slightly as he nodded in greeting. "You have my thanks for your assistance. I have been tracking Momochi Zabuza for quite some time and I was expecting a fairly taxing battle to subdue him. You have saved me a great deal of effort."

Kakashi nodded absently as he approached Zabuza's body and knelt beside it. After checking for a pulse, Kakashi rose once again and stepped back towards where his team had gathered.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Kakashi glanced towards the blonde genin to see a troubled expression. 'Either Naruto is being stubborn or he senses that something is wrong. I wonder…' Addressing his subordinate once again, Kakashi whispers, "Let it go. Now is not the time."

In a louder tone, Kakashi calls out, "Please do not let us keep you from performing your duty."

Nodding once again, the Kiri ninja teleported from his position and appeared next to Zabuza's body. Lifting it easily, the masked ninja quickly teleported away with a whisper of noise. Kakashi stared at the now vacate location for a moment before he lowered his hitai-ate into place, covering his eye once again. With his visible eye crinkled in what the genin had come to understand was a smile, Kakashi's gaze swept over the other members as Team Seven. A moment later, the jounin collapsed bonelessly in exhaustion.

XXXXX

It was a short while later that a silent procession of close to fifty individuals approached Tazuna's house. Most of the individuals were slowly scanning the surrounding trees, protecting a group that appeared to be carrying a litter. With Kakashi-sensei out of action, Team Seven had decided to continue on and get to Tazuna's house as quickly as possible. Two ambushes in the same trip led a slightly paranoid Naruto to the summoning of a Kage Bunshin escort. With their arrival at the house, most of the escort peeled off to explore and patrol the surrounding area.

After greeting the group, Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, directed Team Seven towards one of the extra bedrooms. The Kage Bunshins carrying the litter placed their unconscious sensei on one of the futons and exited the house to join the others. After closing the door, Naruto and Sasuke silently settled against the wall opposite Kakashi and watched as Sakura checked on their jounin instructor's health.

Sasuke eventually tired of the silence and glanced towards the blonde sitting beside him. Observing the odd mixture of contemplation and irritation on his teammate's face, he asked, "What's the matter, Dobe? Depressed that someone else killed Zabuza?"

Lost in his thoughts, the blonde shinobi absently responded, "No, I just have a weird feeling about that fight. Something was weird about that hunter nin."

Sakura, having finished her tasks, sat down near her teammates as she contributed, "Hunter nins are some of the most skilled and feared ninja in any village. They are part of the ANBU and are responsible for tracking down traitors and deserters. What is weird about them hunting down Zabuza?"

Naruto's scowl deepened slightly as he continued to review the fight. After a moment, he responded, "It was just entirely too convenient for the hunter nin to show up when he did. Plus the neck is not a vital organ unless you penetrate one of the primary blood vessels. There was very little blood, so the hunter nin did not hit them."

Sasuke, irritated at Naruto's distracted tone and vague answers, intoned, "You are rambling, Dobe. What is your point?"

It appeared that Sasuke's comments had finally worn down the blonde's patience as he snapped, "My point, Sasuke-teme, is that if you are trying to kill an A class missing nin, you do not take unnecessary risks by attacking uncertain points. You go straight for the kill, as there are no points for artistry in assassination. The sword bastard said it himself; there are eight critical points on the human body: the liver, the lungs, the spine, the clavicle blood vessels, the jugular blood vessels, the brain, the kidneys, and the heart."

Before either of the other genin could respond, the team heard, "Naruto is right." Team Seven started as they turned towards the jounin, who had woken up during their conversation. "Kakashi-sensei!" The jounin waved off the startled kunoichi as he rose to a seated position. Looking towards his team, he could not help but feel a bit of pride at their performance earlier that day. While the fight did raise some questions in his mind, he was proud of their determination and their teamwork. "In addition to Naruto's suspicions, you should also understand that normal protocol is for a hunter nin to destroy the body on the spot."

At this new and odd piece of information, Team Seven's female member gave into her inquisitive tendencies and simply inquired, "Why?"

Kakashi shifted into a more comforted position as he responded, "A ninja's body contains a great deal of information that their home village would like to remain secret. If a ninja from another village were to have unlimited access to the body of an experienced ninja, they could extract those secrets and use them against the original village."

Sakura thought about this new information for a moment before offering, "So, since the hunter nin didn't dispose of the body…?"

"It is likely that Zabuza is still alive."

"But…" Kakashi held up a hand to forestall the young kunoichi's comment. "While it is true that I checked the body, there are certain techniques that will fool such a rudimentary inspection."

After a moment, Sakura accepted the answer, instead asking, "Are you going to be all right?"

"No… I probably won't be back to full strength for a couple of days." While the answer didn't sit well with any of the three genin, it was Sakura that, once again, gave voice to their concerns. "So what are we going to do now? What happens if Zabuza comes back?"

Kakashi, who was still feeling the exhaustive effects from the battle, responded tiredly, "I don't think we will have to worry about him for a while. He's probably in much worse shape than I am. With any luck, I will have some time to train you guys before he tries anything."

"Train us? But Kakashi-sensei, we wouldn't stand a chance against Zabuza even if we trained. You even said that he was out of our league."

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled, indicating to his team that he was smiling in an encouraging manner, as he offered, "Don't forget that it was your teamwork that allowed me to escape the water prison. You shouldn't sell yourselves short as you guys have come a long way since the bell test. While I will be the one to face Zabuza, don't forget that he has at least one accomplice that must be dealt with."

Sasuke ended any further discussion on the matter by asking, "How are we going to train?"

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in amusement once again as he responded, "You will find out first thing in the morning."

A/N

Another chapter that took far too long to post. I am considering a New Year's resolution to improve my update speed. The problem this time was that the chapter was far to close to canon to really capture my attention. Whenever I felt inspired to spend some time writing, I always seemed to focus on later chapters.

Despite a number of revisions and even starting over once, I still ended up with chapter very close to the original. But it is a necessary evil as the plot relies on certain events that transpire in Wave and I really don't want to just fast forward through these events. If it is any consolation, I am actually rather pleased with some of the dialogue in Chapter 10, which will conclude the Wave Arc. And, for those of you that are irritated by my adherence to canon, Chapters 11 through 16 will be original content. Finally, for the record, I am aware that, in canon, the cat is owned by Fire Daimyo's wife and not his sister. It is a minor plot shift that will be expanded upon later. Happy Holidays!!!

Story Statistics as of 12/29/2007

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	9. Chapter 9

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 09: Meetings and Camaraderie

"Tree climbing?" A couple of birds flew from their perch as the slightly shrill question rang throughout a small forest clearing near Tazuna's house. The three genin members of Team Seven stood assembled in this clearing to begin their training in the pale light of the early morning.

"Yeah," Kakashi answered simply as he visually surveyed his team. The expressions worn by Sakura and Sasuke easily communicated what they thought about the prospect of climbing trees for training. Naruto, on the other hand, had acquired an eager gleam in his eye at the prospect of training. But the blonde shinobi's thoughts were a bit different than the jounin instructor might have guessed.

"What kind of training is that?" Sakura asked, trying to keep the derision out of her voice and failing miserably. With a long suffering sigh, Kakashi vaguely clarified, "This isn't normal tree climbing. You won't be using your hands." Naruto's eyes brightened further as he struggled to keep his infamous grin from appearing on his face. Sasuke and Sakura now looked confused at their sensei's vague response and annoyed at Naruto's expression.

"How?" Sakura persisted, before fidgeting a bit under Kakashi's lazy inspection. "Just watch," was the jounin instructor's response. Then, moving slowly over to the nearest tree, Kakashi placed his foot upon the trunk. At this point, the two less than enthusiastic genin noticed faint blue aura on his feet. Their sensei then proceeded to walk up the tree, completely defying gravity. The two genin stared in awe at their sensei as he came to rest, hanging underneath a tree limb twenty feet in the air.

"Do you understand now?" he asked, slightly amused. "Gather your chakra on the bottom of your feet and climb up a tree."

As Kakashi returned to the ground, Sasuke voiced a question, his tone slightly less derisive than Sakura's had been, "How is learning to climb a tree going to make me stronger?" Thus Kakashi launched into a lecture of how tree climbing increased both chakra control and reserves. He then went on to explain how, with this level of control, a person could theoretically perform many different jutsu. The long explanation had Naruto fidgeting slightly as he waited for his opportunity. With a flick of his wrist, the jounin sent a trio of kunai towards the feet of his team. "Use the kunais to mark your progress."

Seeing his opportunity, Naruto spoke for the first time since entering the clearing. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei. If I master this exercise by the end of the day, can you teach me something else? Like a new jutsu or another chakra control exercise?"

'Hmmm… Bribing his team to train with the prospect of more training?' The jounin's visible eye focused on Naruto for a moment before he answered, "True mastery of this exercise is being able to run up and down the tree ten times in rapid succession. This demonstrates both acceptable chakra control and sufficient chakra reserves to learn most low to mid level jutsu. If you are able to demonstrate that level of mastery before sunset…, then yes, I'll teach you something else."

During Kakashi's response, Naruto's only thought was, 'Old man Hokage said only five times up and down the tree, but it won't matter.'

The words were barely out of Kakashi's mouth before he observed Naruto yelling his acceptance of the terms, completely ignoring the kunai at his feet, and running full tilt towards his tree. Kakashi, having expected Naruto to fall after the first step, was shocked to see him transverse to the vertical plane with no difficulty. A little over a minute later, Naruto was once again standing in front of Kakashi, grinning like an idiot. Naruto's two teammates were looking at him with a mixture of shock and loathing.

After a moment, Kakashi silently shifted his inquisitive gaze from Naruto towards his other two charges. Sasuke, acknowledging the implied challenge, turned and sprinted towards his appointed tree. The young Uchiha only got about twelve feet before he used too much chakra and ended up being pushed off the tree trunk. He flipped away from the tree and barely managed to get his feet under him before he landed on the ground. Moments later, Sakura, with her near perfect control, was able to climb more than thirty feet up her tree. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the limit of her endurance as she was currently sitting on a branch, panting heavily.

Kakashi's visible eye indicated that the jounin was smiling. "Well, there you have it," Kakashi said easily. "A clear gauge on how well each of you has progressed with regard to chakra control and reserves."

Glancing in turn at Sakura and Sasuke, Kakashi concluded that a couple of pointed observations might help the two focus on improving their abilities. "You know this is a bit interesting… The Rookie of the Year and the top academic student laid low by the former dead last of your class." The jounin paused for a second, giving the genin a chance to comprehend what was being said. "For Naruto to have progressed this far in the past couple of months speaks very well for him." The blonde shinobi appeared shocked at this praise, but chose not to say anything.

The jounin instructor turned his focus on his female student, who was still recovering from her climb in the tree. "I guess book-smarts are not everything if that small of a distance exhausted you, Sakura." This comment caused Sakura to bow her head in shame.

Kakashi's attention then shifted to Sasuke, "… and I guess the Uchiha prodigy isn't as great as we were led to believe. I mean to fall from Rookie of the Year to the dead last of Team Seven..." This comment brought about a withering glare from the brooding Uchiha and a large smile from Naruto.

"Shut up, sensei!" Sakura yelled, both to defend her crush and for fear that Kakashi's comments would cause Sasuke to get mad at her for climbing higher than him. Kakashi simply glanced at the young kunoichi as he responded, "Would you care to dispute my observation, Sakura?" The pink haired girl did not respond, instead choosing to frown petulantly at her sensei.

Ignoring the byplay between Sakura and Kakashi, Sasuke turned to glare at his tree for a moment before grabbing the kunai and sprinting towards its trunk once again. He made approximately the same amount of progress as before and, upon reaching the ground, immediately tried again. Seeing that he was no longer needed here, Kakashi silently motioned for Naruto to follow him and made his way back towards the house.

XXXXX

As the two ninja arrived at the dock near Tazuna's house, Kakashi explained and demonstrated the concept of water walking. The jounin noticed that the blonde shinobi listened with an unprecedented level of attention, and actually managed to ask a couple of insightful questions. After the explanation, Naruto scrambled a short distance away to practice. Having seen the technique in action during Kakashi's fight with Zabuza, the young ninja was eager to get started. Kakashi walked away from the dock to the sounds of splashing water and muffled cursing.

'Naruto surprised me. I would not have thought that he would take it upon himself to learn tree climbing, especially when it does not have any direct application in combat. He also showed some unexpected talents during the first part of our mission. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover.' The seemingly indifferent instructor observed his young charge for several moments to judge his progress. After watching Naruto immerse himself in the water for the twelfth time and come up swearing, Kakashi had another thought, 'Then again, perhaps you can.'

XXXXX

The door closed sharply, causing the walls of the building to shake slightly. The semi-permanent structure was some distance away from the Country of Wave, but the distance could easily be covered in an hour by an experienced ninja. As the footfalls of their pathetic employer and his lackeys faded away, Zabuza turned his attention towards his apprentice. The injured jounin growled, "I did not need your assistance. Despite appearances, I am not helpless."

The apprentice, who had returned to the task of preparing a batch of medicine for Zabuza, calmly responded, "You know that I have never thought otherwise. But you should not have to deal with their ilk, especially while you are recovering."

Zabuza grunted noncommittally from his bed, knowing that there was little to be gained in continuing this discussion. Each time he was injured, Haku would become overprotective. It had been that way since the beginning.

Finding Haku had been one of the greatest strokes of luck he had ever had. But, to this day, he could not pinpoint exactly what had inspired him to take in the thin waif of a child he found huddled in an alley on that winter morning.

But Haku's value had been proven time and again throughout their years on the run. Personally trained by the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist', Haku had grown into a formidable ninja. But, despite these skills and a formidable bloodline, his apprentice's true value had been proven while acting simply as an observer. Numerous foes had fallen due to some simple observations made by Haku's perceptive eyes and astute mind. Zabuza smirked to himself under the bandages that protected his face. Few things escaped the notice of his apprentice. And that fact had saved their skins a number of times.

After a period of silence, the former Kiri jounin moved on to a matter of greater importance: the completion of their current mission. "What was your impression of the three genin?" While it gulled the battle-hardened jounin to even concern himself with the bothersome pests, they had managed to interfere enough that he was unable to finish his battle with Kakashi. So, to ensure that history did not repeat itself…

Haku thought about the question for a moment before responding, "Interesting, but very green. The blonde genin seemed to possess fairly substantial chakra reserves, as he was able to summon a number of Kage Bunshins without effort. He was also able to do so without visible seals. The other jutsu he performed was fairly basic, but it was enhanced by the amount of chakra he poured into the technique. His fighting style was rough, but, coupled with the Kage Bunshin, it was effective enough to disperse your Mizu Bunshins."

The only response the young ninja received was a grunt in agreement. Without further prompting, Haku continued, "The dark haired one was far more controlled in his movements and was able to execute a fairly powerful Katon jutsu for a genin. I wasn't able to observe him in action much, but he did have a symbol on the back of his shirt that I didn't recognize." Passing the incapacitated jounin a small piece of paper, Haku continued, "I drew it as best as I could remember."

Glancing at the offered paper, the jounin recognized the symbol instantly. Despite the near total annihilation of the once great clan, the Uchiha Fan remained one of the most recognized clan symbols in the ninja world. Their eyes were as, if not more, feared than the Hyuuga's Byakugan. "An Uchiha…"

Looking curious, but not afraid, Haku asked, "I thought that they had been wiped out?"

Setting the piece of paper aside, the jounin shifted slightly as he responded, "No, there are at least two left: the one that was spared and the one that killed the rest. We obviously are dealing with the survivor."

As the jounin did not elaborate further, Haku nodded absently and continued, "The kunoichi was a non-entity during the fight. She didn't take any action other than to draw a kunai and was shuffled off to the side by her teammates right after the water prison failed. I was unable to observe anything further about her."

Dismissing the pink haired kunoichi, Zabuza considered the two male genin. He would need his full concentration to finish off Kakashi and that meant that Haku would need to take care of them. "Put some thought into how you will handle the two genin. I do not want any unpleasant surprises during our next encounter."

Some of the tension in Haku's shoulders disappeared as the young apprentice realized the intentional flexibility in Zabuza's orders. With an inaudible sigh of relief, Haku responded, "Yes, Zabuza-sama."

XXXXX

Later that day, Kakashi returned to the forest clearing to check on his two tree climbers. The scene he found before him when he arrived did not really surprise him. Sakura was sitting against the base of her tree, apparently exhausted from the chakra exercise. Kakashi was unable to gauge her exact progress as her tree bore kunai marks up and down its length. 'At least she didn't intentionally hold herself back to make Sasuke feel better about his difficulties.' As the young kunoichi rested beneath her tree, she watched Sasuke continue his training with an intensity that the jounin instructor recognized from his own experiences.

As Sakura watched her crush, she couldn't help but notice the look of frustration on his face… and his exhaustion. But, despite his efforts, her crush was scarcely any higher than where he had been when Kakashi and Naruto had left earlier this morning. In fact, the tree was so abused at the twelve to seventeen-foot mark that it looked as though he was trying to cut it down with his kunai.

'I don't think that even Sasuke-kun can keep this up forever. Maybe next time he rests he will come over here and ask me for some advice…' A soft sigh escaped her lips. 'That would be so perfect…' But, as the girl observed her shinobi teammate, it didn't look like he was aware of her presence at all. Even the most oblivious observer could see that his thoughts were somewhere else. As if prompted by her thoughts, the raven-haired genin paused long enough in his exercise to cast an angry glare between his tree and the direction of the house. Subtle muscle movements along his neck and jaw line indicated that he teeth were clinched tightly in anger. After a moment, he wordlessly returned to the exercise.

Still, the thought of helping Sasuke-kun caused Sakura to slip in a brief daydream of such a scenario. 'Yeah, he could come over here to rest and casually ask me for help. He would accept my advice in his stoic, resolute manner and complete the exercise immediately. He would then give me a small smile in thanks and calmly show his appreciation by asking if he could take me out to dinner. Just the two of us… we'd talk for hours about a variety of topics… And one thing would lead to another…'

The daydream ended a short time later, causing Sakura to break into a fit of giggles. Sasuke glanced over at his teammate and found her beneath her tree slightly curled up with her balled fists held close to her face. This was a posture that the young shinobi had long ago come to associate with the most perverted and fanatical of his 'fan club'.

Eventually, Sakura recovered enough to look at Sasuke again and found him staring at her as if questioning her sanity. This action caused Sakura's blush to deepen and for her to look away. Whether the intensity of this blush was caused by her embarrassment from her outburst or by other thoughts triggered by the Uchiha's attention was unclear, even to her.

A shiver ran down Sasuke's spine as he hypothesized about what type of twisted fantasy she had concocted in her mind to blush that severely. The young Uchiha shook his head at having let himself become distracted by the troubling actions of his obsessive teammate. Neither of the clearing's occupants noticed as Kakashi turned away from the scene, apparently satisfied that they were okay.

XXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke was a perfectionist. While this gave him the determination to train to the point of exhaustion in order to hone a jutsu or a kata to perfection, it also led to obsessive tendencies. The fact that he realized this, however, did not allow him to escape these tendencies.

These tendencies were as deeply ingrained in his personality as his obvious pride in his clan and his aloof nature. During his childhood, his energies had been directed towards receiving acknowledgement, both from his father and his older brother.

While he had been growing up, his father had hardly given him a second glance, being far more concerned with the activities of his older brother. No matter what he accomplished, it was either far later than when his brother had accomplished the same feat or far less impressive than his brother's current actions. Whether it was intended or not, his brother became the benchmark against which all of his accomplishments were judged.

And even though he had grown up in the shadow of his brother, he still desired his acknowledgement as well. Itachi had been everything that he wanted to be. He was strong and calm… He was intelligent, declared a genius ninja before the age when Sasuke had even entered the academy. Adults far more experienced than him had often asked his opinion on a number of topics. He was beloved by their father and widely acknowledged by the rest of the clan as the most gifted Uchiha in a generation. And so he was driven to surpass his brother even while wishing to be acknowledged as his equal.

The events surrounding the Uchiha Massacre had only served to strengthen his obsessive tendencies. The scowl Sasuke had been wearing most of the day deepened as he thought about the single most defining moment of his life. It was a day that sickened him to think about and yet was never far from his mind. It was the day that his clan had been murdered, his psyche brutalized, and his brother revealed to be a one of the most heartless and psychotic killers to ever stain the elemental countries.

It was that day that Sasuke's childhood had officially ended and he had been thrust, alone, into a world of terrible burdens and responsibilities. Fate had elected him to fulfill a terrible purpose: to track down and destroy the last of his family in order to avenge the destruction the monster had wrought. Depending on one's perspective, he had been cursed or honored with the role of avenging the massacre and restoring his clan.

He would be the avenger… for only an Uchiha could overcome the monster that had slaughtered his clan. No one else could stand against the clan's fabled bloodline. He was his father's son, an Uchiha, and he would fulfill his responsibilities.

To that end, he had abandoned his childish pursuits and focused on his training. He had to be the strongest, the fastest, the best. He had to be superior to every ninja in Konoha because that monster had already been amongst the strongest when he left. And Sasuke did not delude himself into thinking that Itachi had simply stopped improving after having left Konoha.

Attending the academy had been painful for Sasuke as he was forced to learn at the same pace as the morons that surrounded him. The young Uchiha had grown up surrounded by ninja, having learned the basics of taijutsu and tactics when most children had been playing with toys. Watching classmates struggle with the likes of Henge no jutsu simply highlighted exactly how pathetic his peers were.

In addition these circumstances, he had also been subjected to sycophantic teachers, obsessive fan girls, and jealous classmates. He felt nothing but contempt for those around him. They were all gullible fools who seemed determined to stifle his growth. They did not have the slightest idea of the task he had to accomplish. None of them could comprehend the type of monster he had to kill.

And so, Sasuke trained in isolation, relying primarily on the training he had received while he was growing up and the few scrolls he found scattered around his clan's compound. Unfortunately, the clan's primary library remained closed to his use as it was protected by seals and traps he could not bypass… yet.

Throughout his training, it is needless to say that Konoha's last loyal Uchiha constantly obsessed about how much more powerful Itachi had been by his age. By all traditional measures, his brother had always been light years beyond him. Whether a person looked towards Itachi's passing of the to chuunin examination, his promotion to jounin, or his ascension to the ANBU elite, his brother had accomplished all these milestones before the age when Sasuke had graduated from the academy.

Even skill-based tests seemed to mock the young Uchiha's progress to surpass his brother… The kunai practice drill he had watched his brother practice all those years ago only served as one of the most obvious of the reminders.

Sasuke continued to brood silently as the two tree climbers of Team Seven approached the clearing where Tazuna's house was built. As they neared the home's entrance, Sasuke's brooding actually ground to a halt when Sakura began complaining about needing to clean up. As she left him to enter the house, she mindlessly elaborated that she felt all 'sticky' from training. The dark haired shinobi snorted derisively at the girl's priorities as he continued past the house. 'And this is the type of person they saddle me with for a teammate.' Sasuke quickly left the house behind, having a different goal in mind.

He found is target a minute later, sitting at the end of the boat dock near the house. The blonde shinobi was sitting at the end of the dock, sans his customary sandals, watching the sunset over the water. The scene caused Sasuke to remember another dock where the two had run into each other from time to time. Shaking himself from the memory, Sasuke continued towards the resting blonde, determined to answer the questions that had been bothering him all day.

"Dobe."

"Teme."

Sasuke's scowl deepened momentarily at the blonde's aloof acknowledgment. Not about to be distracted from his task, he simply demanded, "How did you know how to do that exercise?"

The blonde shinobi, who still had not turned around to face the Uchiha survivor, smiled broadly as he responded, "What can I say? I guess I am just a natural." Sasuke ground his teeth, as it appeared that he would have to exert some effort to get his answers. 'The flippant response is customary as our… interactions have always been confrontational. But I need to know… I need to know so that I can become stronger.' Given how they usually interacted, the next stream of consciousness from the blonde genin was all the more unusual.

"Have you ever seen the ocean before? I have never really been away from Konoha and the largest body of water that I had ever seen before this trip was the lake. I know this is just a small strait that separates us from the mainland, but it is still impressive." There was a pause, as the blonde appeared to become lost is his thoughts. After a moment, he concluded, "It is humbling to think about a body of water that would take days, if not weeks, to cross."

Naruto was beginning to irritate the young Uchiha. First his knowledge and mastery of a training exercise that he was struggling with. Then he starts rambling about oceans and lakes. Sasuke's scowl deepened even further. It was as if the blonde idiot was making a conscious effort to keep him off balance.

When he received no response, Naruto glanced over his shoulder at his teammate. He found the Uchiha survivor frowning deeply at nothing in particular. Naturally, Naruto assumed that the teme was still obsessing about his earlier question and not the oddness of the blonde's behavior.

Smiling slightly, the blonde shinobi inquired, "The tree walking thing really bothers you, huh?" After a second, Naruto returned to observing the water, shrugged his shoulders, and continued, "If you really want to know, I came across another genin team while they were learning it back in Konoha. Even though I missed most of the explanation, since I was hiding in the bushes, I was able to get the gist of it. After that, it was just a matter of practice."

The irritated and sulking Uchiha simply made a noncommittal 'hnnn' in response. Naruto glanced at his teammate once again and found that he had taken on an even more disgruntled expression. Although the teme had not said anything outright, the implication was clear enough: the Dobe should not be able to know anything that the genius had not already mastered. The connotation that he was somehow less that the Uchiha bastard rankled Naruto. That the teme had decided to interrupt his relaxation with his implied insults just added to his anger.

Giving voice to his irritation, Naruto asked, "What is your problem? You really are a teme if you think that you are the only one that trains outside of our team sessions." Not receiving a response, Naruto continued, "Do I complain that you can perform Katon jutsus that Kakashi-sensei did not teach us? Or do you think that you are somehow special, that you should have been able to learn this exercise before me?" As he did not receive any response to his inquiries, Naruto quickly replaced his sandals and stood up a second later. The blonde shinobi headed towards the house, intending to leave the teme to his brooding.

When he reached the end of the dock, Naruto paused and attempted to tamp down his irritation. After taking a deep breath, he considered continuing towards the house to get dinner, but thought better of it. 'Kakashi is always going on about teamwork and such. This would be a good opportunity to offer the teme an olive branch.'

After taking another deep breath, Naruto turned back towards the emo shinobi and called out, "Hey, Teme. I have a proposition for you." Naruto waited a moment for Sasuke to indicate that he was paying attention. The only response he received from the brooding teme was a slight stiffening of his shoulders.

As this was probably the best response he could realistically expect from the emo shinobi, Naruto continued, "You show me how to do the Katon jutsu you used during the fight with Zabuza and I will help you out with the tree climbing exercise. I will even tell you about the other chakra exercise Kakashi-sensei showed me."

Sasuke turned fully towards Naruto to glare at him, but considered the blonde's offer none the less. A bargain was something struck between equals, something that the young Uchiha had never considered Naruto to be. While the blonde had become more driven and diligent in his training over the past couple of months, he was still the Dobe. 'And yet he has information that will help me achieve my goals…'

Sasuke put aside his past dealings with the Dobe and tried to objectively evaluate the offer. Naruto had recently learned the exercise and could probably explain it better than Kakashi had. And by agreeing to this exchange, he would be able to avoid asking Sakura for advice. A mental shiver passed through the Uchiha as he recalled the sight of her daydreaming earlier in the day.

'As for the price… Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu is by no means the most advanced Katon technique I know. I am well on my way to mastering Katon: Housenka no Jutsu and have begun practicing Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu. Throwing the dobe a bone for some minor assistance should not be a problem. It is not as if he will suddenly be my equal or anything with a low ranked Katon jutsu.'

Satisfied with his analysis, Sasuke finally answered, "Fine. But you go first. And don't blame me if you are too much of a dobe to execute the jutsu." Naruto, content that he would be learning another jutsu, let the comment slide and gestured for the Uchiha survivor to follow him. The blonde shinobi began his explanation as the two walked towards the forest, "The secret to tree climbing is to…"

The two shinobi did not notice their sensei slip away from the scene with a small smile hidden by his mask. 'Finally…'

XXXXX

The scene at the end of the following day was little different from the first. "Sensei, we're back!" called an overly excited feminine voice.

Looking over from his place on the water, Naruto caught a glimpse of Sasuke and Sakura returning from the forest. Both looked tired, though Sasuke was clearly the only one to have been doing any serious training. Kakashi, reclined on the shore and reading his book, did not respond verbally but waved towards them in acknowledgment.

Naruto, a large smile lighting his face, called out as they approached, "How was training, Sasuke-teme? Did you get any better or are you still having trouble?"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura yelled as the two made their way towards the beach where Kakashi was sitting.

Kakashi glanced up when Sasuke didn't respond to the barbed comment. The jounin found that the young Uchiha had begun running through a series of hand seals. The jutsu was enough to draw the jounin's attention from his book for a couple of moments. The series was easy to discern as the jounin had used it often enough. 'Katon: Housenka no Jutsu…'

As he expected, the jutsu's execution was flawless, sending a series of flaming projectiles towards Naruto. While the fireballs were not even close to hitting the blonde shinobi's position, their presence was distracting enough to send the blonde shinobi into the water.

When a sputtering Naruto returned to the surface, a smirking Sasuke finally responded. Taking a moment to survey his damp teammate, Sasuke offered, "Looks like you are the one having trouble, Dobe." Kakashi returned his attention to his book, but he couldn't help smiling as the blonde began to rant at the now departing Sasuke.

XXXXX

Naruto trailed behind Tazuna in the dimming light of the late afternoon as the old man ran some errands for his daughter. This was the second day that Naruto had fulfilled the role of bodyguard to the grouchy old man and Naruto was not exactly looking forward to following the old man around for the next couple of days. While it was not a difficult task, Naruto was irritated that he had to perform it while Sakura and Sasuke were free to train for the eventual confrontation with Zabuza.

The blonde shinobi mentally grumbled as he recalled the weak excuse Kakashi had given him when he asked why they didn't rotate the task of guarding Tazuna. 'Sakura and Sasuke need to work on their chakra exercises, where as you have already completed yours.'

Naruto's complaints about not being able to train were a bit hollow as his Kage Bunshins were able to train as they patrolled the parameter of the worksite. In a burst of inspiration, the bunshins had combined the tree climbing and water walking exercises by replacing the tree with the bridge's pylons while they patrolled the water's surface. The transition between the two surfaces had proven to be a bit difficult at first, but this problem had quickly been overcome.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Naruto returned his focus to the task at hand, namely ensuring that nothing happened to Tazuna. As he glanced around the village, Naruto recalled what Tazuna had communicated about Gatou's domination of the island nation.

While they had been traveling here, the drunken bridge builder had provided an overview of the nation's plight. It had outlined the bare facts of the situation, but had not really conveyed the true extent of the problems resulting from the shipping magnate's actions. It was a detached evaluation, lacking the details necessary to communicate the true nature of the problem.

The sight of the villagers brought everything into perspective. Men listlessly sitting on street corners, begging for food or recovering from an alcohol induced stupor. Painfully thin children dressed in tattered rags being watched by tired women; their drawn faces and ringed eyes betraying nights spent worrying about their family. The signs of poverty and disease were apparent to all.

Even those that had money and were somewhat healthier were no better off as the venders barely had any scraps of food for sale. What few things they did have were ridiculously over priced, even by Naruto's standards. According to Tazuna, the village was a shadow of what it had once been.

This assertion was supported by Naruto's final observation. It was their eyes. The vast majority of the villagers wore vacant, hopeless stares. It was as if their spirits had been ground underfoot and left to crumble and die. It was an expression that Naruto had become all too familiar with during the darkest days of his childhood. The only exceptions seemed to be those that assisted Tazuna with construction of the bridge. But even they wore a tense, wary expression as they made their way through the village.

The hopeless attitude he was observing disgusted Naruto, but he was careful to maintain a mask of indifference. Indulging in such emotions would only serve to make him careless and that was not something he could afford.

Last night, in response to Sakura's question about a torn picture, Tazuna had outlined the death of a hero, a man who had strived to give the island nation a future. It was a sad tale that ended with the execution of the young man that had become part of Tazuna's household. After hearing that story, Naruto understood that he was now witnessing the results of a broken dream.

Glancing ahead, Naruto caught sight of one of the Kage Bunshins he had sent ahead to patrol the village. A simple hand gesture signaled that the patrol had not spotted any problems or suspicious activity.

Naruto returned to scrutinizing the immediate area. The general state of the village stirred the vague memory of a conversation with the Hokage. When he was growing up, it was not unusual for him to spend an afternoon with the old man, either for some mischief or in response to some difficulties with the villagers.

He must have been about six at the time and he had declared to the old man that he was going to be the best Hokage ever so that every one would listen to him. The old man had smiled indulgently before responding, "The thing you must understand is that you will never be able to succeed in your quest as long as your reasons for becoming Hokage remain so selfish."

The six year old had scowled petulantly before inquiring, "What about you, old man? Why did you become Hokage?"

The old man glanced down at the young boy as they walked along the top of Hokage Monument. "Well, it is difficult to put into words." The old man gazed into the distance for a moment, organizing his thoughts. Remarkably, Naruto remained silent, waiting for the kind old man to answer.

"As a young man, I participated in a number of battles, both large and small, and witnessed many terrible things. As you grow older, you will find that there are many places in the world where living conditions are far more miserable than Konoha, where people have to struggle to get by. But, even during the most dangerous of times, Konoha always seemed to be an island of peace and prosperity. My sensei and his brother," the man gestured towards two of the massive stone carvings that adorned Hokage Mountain, "played a large role in providing the security that made that possible."

Now gesturing towards the village, the Hokage continued, "The village below us is filled with thousands of people that go about their daily lives with little thought as to the dangers that exist in the world outside of these walls. They are able to do so because a precious few have taken upon themselves to protect them."

"But the Hokage is the one ultimately responsible for protecting this village. As Hokage, you must believe that the safety of the village is paramount, that the village's safety and prosperity are worth fighting for… are worth dying for."

The Hokage paused as he looked down at the small boy and observed the frown of confusion on his face. The Hokage shook his head with a small smile as he chastised himself for being too serious. Naruto was only a child after all.

The old man knelt down to look directly into his eyes and whispered in a conspiratorial tone, "But do you want to know the most important reason that I became Hokage?" Naruto could almost picture the star struck expression he must have been wearing as he looked towards the old man and nodded his head.

"I really just wanted to wear this really cool hat." The old man rose and ruffled the boy's hair as he continued, "Enough serious stuff. Let's go get you something to eat and then I will take you home."

The serious nature of the conversation slipped into the blonde child's sub conscious as Naruto glanced up in awe at the kindly old man and asked, "Can we have ramen?"

The old man chuckled as he responded, "Of course."

Shaking his head as the memory faded, Naruto realized now that his motivations for becoming Hokage had always been fairly selfish. This mission only served to highlight that there was more to being a ninja than gaining attention, whether from a village or from a certain girl. And yet he was not prepared to give up on this goal just yet. Perhaps he just needed to find a better reason…

Shaking his head once again, Naruto thought, 'But now is not the time to go analyzing my life's goals and motivations.' But, glancing around the village as Tazuna completed his final errand, Naruto came to a final conclusion: no matter what, the people of Wave do not deserve this.

XXXXX

The evening was settling in when Naruto and Tazuna returned to the house. The young shinobi found Sakura helping Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, prepare dinner for the group, obviously having just finished with taking a bath. Putting aside any snide comments he may have been thinking about the kunoichi actually training for a change, Naruto had asked about Sasuke's location. Naruto smiled mischievously upon discovering that the dark-haired shinobi had remained in the forest for a couple more hours of training.

And so, a couple of minutes later, Naruto was moving stealthily through the forest as he hunted for his target. For all the time he had known the dark haired boy, he had never suspected the emo Uchiha having anything even resembling a sense of humor. Throughout their time at the academy, Sasuke had always been the stoic stick in the mud. The closest thing to a smile that had ever crossed his face was the malicious smirk he wore while enjoying the misfortune of others. Never in a million years would he have thought Sasuke capable of playing a prank on him. That this prank had taken the form of a well-placed jutsu did not take away from the fact that Sasuke had caused him to fall into the water for his own amusement.

And so Naruto found himself possessed by the undeniable urge to respond in kind. Of course this response would serve two purposes. First, it would repay the teme for sending Naruto into the water a couple of days ago. Secondly and more importantly, it would serve to demonstrate that he could master anything he put his mind to.

'It may even help the teme master tree climbing faster. It will certainly give Sasuke some incentive to climb the tree after I set the bottom of it on fire.'

Suppressing his chakra unconsciously and masking the other signs of his passage, just as he had at the height of his pranking career, Naruto approached the clearing where the other two genin had been climbing trees for the past couple of days. As expected, he found Sasuke training, running up and down his tree easily. What was unexpected was the presence of Kakashi, who was reading his book while leaning against another of the clearing's trees. Careful to remain hidden, Naruto settled himself into a location where he could observe the pair.

It was only a minute or so before Sasuke finished his most recent run and made his way over towards the jounin instructor. Closing his book with a barely audible snap, Kakashi looked towards the young Uchiha and commented, "Looks like you have gotten the hang of it."

Sasuke responded with an inexpressive 'hnnn', but the small smirk he wore demonstrated that he was proud of the accomplishment. Gesturing vaguely as he began walking towards a different part of the forest, Kakashi ordered, "Come on. There are a couple of agility exercises I want you to work on before Zabuza shows back up. You will probably need them to face Zabuza's partner on an equal footing."

As Naruto watched the pair walk off in stunned silence, Naruto couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed. The blonde shinobi had mastered both the tree walking exercise and the water walking exercise and yet Kakashi had not offered to teach him anything else. He had simply been assigned to guarding the bridge builder instead. Even if this was a necessary task, Naruto felt that he should have at least been shown the agility exercises Kakashi had mentioned as he had accomplished the same feat as Sasuke. 'Why am I any different than Sasuke-teme?' Scowling in thought, Naruto made way back towards the house, the previous thoughts of mischief having been wiped from his mind.

XXXXX

The Konoha ninja sat down that evening to a quiet dinner with Tazuna, his daughter, and his grandson. Tazuna gave his family a brief over view of the final phase of the bridge's construction, sounding undeniably proud as he described the preparations for the final sections. As this topic had been covered several times throughout the bridge's construction, the conversation quickly died away.

As the atmosphere appeared to be a bit too subdued for the young kunoichi's liking, Sakura tried to break the silence that had fallen over the meal with a banal topic of conversation. Predictably, she decided to ask Sasuke about how his training had gone after she had returned to the house.

Sasuke was a bit more forthcoming than was his practice and reported his success with the tree climbing exercise. Surprised but pleased at his response, Sakura turned towards the other member of Team Seven, unconsciously anticipating a retort. Whether she realized it or not, she had expected Naruto to begin ribbing Sasuke about having taken so long to master the tree climbing exercise. But the blonde shinobi seemed content to ignore the conversation, quietly brooding. This reversal was so out of character for the blonde that a confused Sakura quietly returned to eating her meal.

This peace and quiet was short lived as the meal was disturbed by an angry outburst from a surprising source, Inari. "Why are you training at all, you're all just going to die! You can't defeat Gatou! No one can!"

Silence reined at the table as everyone was caught off guard by the venom inherent in the boy's outburst. Naruto, shaken from his thoughts, glanced at the boy for a moment before responding. The story about the boy's father figure was still fresh in his mind from a couple of days ago. While he could understand the boy's sense of defeat due to what Gatou's actions had cost him, he could not subscribe to it himself. "You can speak for yourself kid, but some of us are not willing to just give up."

Inari glared heatedly at the blonde shinobi as he responded, "Why don't you just shut up!! You all just show up and butt into our business without having any idea of how it is here. You all just show up and expect to fix everything like some sort of heroes."

"Like I said, we are not willing to give up. Some of us realize that there are things in this world that are worth fighting for… that are worth dying for. Sometimes, a person has to fight for something that is greater than they are. Your father understood this. Your grandfather understands this. Those are the brave individuals that fight because other can't or won't."

Inari attempted to sneer at the comment, but the expression looked remarkably out of place on the young boy's face. "What do you know, having lived an easy life as a ninja? You are not from around here. You don't know what it is like! You couldn't possibly understand what sorrow is! You have no idea what its like to suffer!" At this Naruto's neutral expression disappeared and was replaced with an angry scowl.

"What did you say?" Naruto's eyes seemed to sharpen as he growled in a low, dangerous tone. "I have no idea what it is like to suffer?" There was a pregnant pause in the conversation, as the rest of the group seemed to hold their breath. When Naruto continued there was a noticeable mocking quality to it. "You complain about suffering while eating the meal prepared by your loving mother and listening to your doting grandfather recount his day. You still have your family!! It is you that does not understand true suffering."

Naruto's low voice easily carried across the small room as he continued, "For years I have been alone… hated and ignored. When I was hurt or scared, there was no one to comfort me, no one to tell me that everything would be all right. When I was growing up, there was a real chance that leaving my house would result in me being beaten to death. There was a time or two that I nearly was! So don't come crying to me about your sob story and say that I don't understand SUFFERING! You are nothing be a coward, attempting to force your fears on others! Not everyone is willing to run and hide from their problems!"

"Naruto! Stop picking on him!" Sakura yelled, as she observed tears beginning to run down Inari's face.

Naruto's gaze snapped towards Sakura and she was taken aback by the roiling emotions there. "Fine, but I am not going to sit here and listen to this crap." The blonde shinobi rose from the table and the door slammed moments later as he exited the house. The scraping of a chair and the bang of Inari's door closing at the top of the house followed moments later. Tsunami silently rose from the table and went upstairs, likely to check on her son.

Sasuke, who had observed the whole exchange with his hands calmly folded in front of his face, continued to stare blankly at the blonde shinobi's seat. Naruto's comments had been very similar to his own experiences and yet totally different. If nothing else, it highlighted exactly how little he knew about his fellow genin.

Sakura glared after Naruto for a second before the young kunoichi made to resume her meal. Eventually, she offered, "Naruto shouldn't be going around making up stories to torment little kids. He really has no consideration for others."

Sasuke shifted his eyes towards Sakura as his train of thought was broken by the girl's petty comment. "If you are going to call him a liar, why don't you at least have the decency to do it to his face? And while you are at it, you may want to repeat your comments about how great it is that he does not have any parents. I am sure both comments would go over real well." The Uchiha's calm tone did little to hide the disdain behind his comments.

Sakura was stunned by Sasuke's verbal rebuke, but was cut off from explaining herself as Sasuke stood and said, "I am going to bed." As the Uchiha survivor exited the room, the group fell into silence. At this juncture, Tazuna rose silently to leave the two remaining ninja in peace.

Kakashi's eye rose from his book and settled on the silent pink haired genin for a moment. Turning a page, the jounin resumed his reading as he calmly intoned, "Sakura… You should be certain of your facts before you go making those types of statements."

Sakura, who was still shocked at having received such a pointed reprimand from Sasuke, glanced towards her sensei and vacantly responded, "What do you mean, sensei?

Kakashi turned another page as he continued, "I mean that Naruto was not making up stories. It's not my place to say, but I can tell you that Naruto lived an extremely hard life growing up. If anything, he was understating the pain of his childhood."

Glancing up once again, Kakashi offered, "I would normally not interfere in such matters, but you need to realize that both of your teammates have had fairly traumatic childhoods… and both have dealt with their experiences in different ways. From what I understand, your childhood would be described as being fairly idyllic."

Seeing the young kunoichi about to respond, Kakashi waved her off as he continued, "While I am sure that you did experience some sort of childhood angst, it does not hold a candle to your two teammates. Both of your parents are still alive, and probably love both you and each other very much. You had a warm comfortable place to sleep, enough to eat, and someone to comfort you when you were upset or care for you when you were sick." Meeting the kunoichi's gaze for a moment, Kakashi observed, "If nothing else, this profession will instill you with an understanding of exactly how lucky you have been."

A long moment passed in silence as the jounin returned to his book, allowing the kunoichi to think about what he had said. Eventually, Kakashi rose from the table and was about to exit the room when he added, "You should at least attempt to understand both of them before you make any more judgments about them. I will see you tomorrow, Sakura."

Sakura sat silently at the table for a long time as she considered what she had been told. She had known for many years that Sasuke-kun had had a difficult childhood. The tragedy surrounding the last Uchiha was known throughout Konoha. That he had overcome such adversity served to make Sasuke's accomplishments all the more impressive. The thought of Naruto, the class clown and troublemaker, having anything in common with Sasuke was simply preposterous.

But before she could mentally dismiss Kakashi's assertion, the pink haired girl remembered a statement made by the young Uchiha himself. It was a statement that had also been in the form of a reprimand, which was why it had been indelibly burned into her mind. 'I may have my differences with the Dobe, but I have far more in common with him than I will ever have with you.' The memory of the statement and the recently passed comments made by the same boy left Sakura feeling cold inside.

XXXXX

Naruto had become much more attentive to his limits over the past couple of months. There were times during his academy career when he had driven himself to exhaustion by spending all night practicing in the woods so that he could scrape by with a passing grade. More recently he had taken the advice of old man Hokage and Gai-sensei to heart by ensuring that he got enough sleep.

But Naruto was the type of person that made leaps in ability when he pushed past the boundaries of common sense. He often felt an undeniable rush of creativity or insight when he pushed himself to his limits and beyond. It was because of this intoxicating feeling that he occasionally continued to push himself further than was wise.

And so the morning sun found the blonde shinobi snoring softly where he had collapsed in the middle of the forest. As few were aware of the young blonde's sleeping habits, not many would realize that this was one of the first times in years that he had been without the comfort of his trusty sleeping cap while enjoying the type of deep relaxation that only exhaustion can bring. He was unaware that the sun had risen. He was unaware of the birds that flitted about him. He was unaware of the person approaching his location.

This new person entered the clearing carrying a woven basket, pausing in their steps as they were loathed to disturb the tranquil scene. When she had entered this part of the forest, she noticed that quite a bit of the surrounding ground had been disturbed. Now that she observed the blonde, the girl surmised that he had been practicing a jutsu. She glanced once again at one of the countless mounds of disturbed earth and rock with a critical eye. 'Hmmm… A Doton jutsu? No, it looks to be the remains of Iwa jutsu of some sort.'

Satisfied with her conclusion, the girl glanced towards the sleeping blonde again, wondering how he could have caused such wide spread damage to this part of the forest. While she had obviously been accurate in regard to her observations regarding the boy's chakra reserves, it appears that she may have underestimated exactly how deeply those reserves ran.

Curious, the girl decided that there would be little harm in approaching the blonde shinobi in her current garb. Further rationalizing her actions, she thought, 'Perhaps I could learn something of value to Zabuza-sama.'

In a flurry of movement, the birds surrounding the blonde shinobi flew away and this movement awakened Naruto. His mind instantly snapped to alertness, as his eyes opened and he became aware of an unknown person approaching his side. Naruto's body reacted automatically as he rolled in the opposite direction and leapt away. He landed about fifteen feet away; in a ready stance with a kunai is his hand.

Haku had managed to suppress her natural reaction at this turn of events and arranged her features in a surprised expression.

Naruto's vision cleared and he observed the person that had woken him from his slumber. The person turned out to be a girl dressed in a simple yukata. He vaguely noticed that it was similar to, but of a higher quality than, what the local villagers seemed to favor.

She appeared to be about his age or maybe slightly older. Naruto blushed slightly as he noted her appearance. The only word he could think of to describe her was beautiful. She possessed deep brown eyes and long, black hair. Her ebony hair, which fell freely past her shoulders, framed a flawless aristocratic face that was highlighted by high cheekbones and smooth, ivory skin. Naruto eventually noticed, that her full, pink lips and her other features were formed into a surprised expression.

'Probably due to how quickly I woke up and the fact that I am holding a weapon on her.' His embarrassment at his actions must have shown on his face, as the girl's expression quickly shifted to a kind smile as she settled herself on the ground. The beautiful girl sitting on grass of the clearing and the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest's canopy came together to create a remarkable image.

Feeling rather foolish for his actions and his staring, Naruto sheepishly intoned, "Sorry about that… You just startled me is all." He quickly replaced the kunai in its pouch and finished wiping the sleep from his eyes.

Haku, in turn, had begun to blush during the boy's inspection. His bright eyes were intense and affected her in ways that she would rather not think about at the moment. His hair was a bit unruly, but it looked good on him and gave him a slightly wild and untamed look. These features, coupled with his tanned complexion, gave him a healthy, vibrant appearance that appealed to her.

Continuing her own inspection, she noticed his attire. During the battle, his jacket had obscured the finer details of his physique. Now that his jacket had been laid aside, probably during his training, Haku observed that his black shirt stretched nicely over shaped and sculpted muscles…, quite impressive muscles if the contours of the shirt and the visible parts of his arms were any indication.

His muscular frame, the wild blonde hair, and those piercing eyes came together in what Haku had always pictured to be every girl's fantasy. Yet the whisker marks and a few other details gave the boy enough character to be totally separate from the fantasy. Instead of taking away from the picture, these characteristics ensured that Haku could not simply dismiss the image later as her idealizing the encounter. Her mind practically purred, 'Perfection…'

A bit shaken by this reaction, she attempted to stifle the thoughts that had entered her mind. There was no way in hell she could begin thinking of him like that. She was a Missing Nin and, if there was one rule that she should follow, it was that other ninja should be avoided at all costs. And given their contradictory missions, this situation could only end in trouble. But these thoughts were quickly dismissed when the blonde shinobi opened his mouth to apologize.

Haku responded simply, "You really shouldn't be sleeping out here like that… you could catch a cold."

The honest concern in the girl's statement caught the young shinobi off guard, but he quickly rallied to ask, "Who are you?"

With a small smile, the girl offered, "Just a friend, but you may call me Haku."

"Haku?" he said as he approached to sit down a couple of feet away from the girl. "Well, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. So what brings you out here so early?"

Haku answered, gesturing the basket beside her, "I am collecting medicinal herbs that I am going to use to make some medicine."

Glancing at the mostly empty basket, Naruto questioned, "Medicine? Is someone sick?"

Smiling softly in response, Haku answered, "Unfortunately, yes. But making medicines is a bit of a hobby of mine. I find that it is very relaxing to gather the ingredients and mix them together. It also pleases me when my efforts are able to help others when they are in need."

Naruto, preferring not to brood over the events of the previous day, actually welcomed the possible distraction offered by this girl. "Do you need some help?"

Haku's smile widened at the offer. "Actually, I would appreciate it."

And so, Naruto found himself gathering herbs as the morning continued. Luckily Naruto's training in this portion of the forest had not destroyed the delicate plants, as they preferred to grow near the base of certain trees. The blonde shinobi found a bit of the tension he had been feeling since the day before dissipate as he searched for various plants amongst the trees.

'This is actually kind of relaxing…' As he found another patch of the herbs, Naruto found himself thinking about Hinata and how she had described why she spent her time gathering herbs and making medicines. Of course, that led him to thinking about how he had benefited from the quiet girl's hobby during the trip here.

'Maybe Hinata-chan would want some of these…'

Haku, approaching the blonde shinobi, settled herself on the ground near one of the larger trees in the area. As Naruto gathered up his latest batch of herbs, the blonde shinobi glanced over and noted with a small bit of satisfaction that the basket she carried was nearing capacity.

As he placed his most recent batch of the herbs in the basket, Haku spoke, "Thank you for your assistance."

"Do you always start working this early in the morning?" Naruto inquired as he sat down on the ground.

Nodding in the affirmative, Haku offered, "It is a peaceful time of day. But I believe that your being up at this hour is happenstance. You were, after all, sleeping soundly in the middle of the forest."

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Naruto responded, "It wasn't intentional. Sometimes I let training get the better of me.

"Really? But what are you training for?"

Naruto casually flicked the hitai-ate that graced his forehead. "It is part of the job. A shinobi is constantly training to improve their abilities and become stronger."

"Really," Haku said, her tone transmitting her disappointment. "So you train simply to gain strength?" Not actually waiting for a response, Haku asked a question that would later cause the blonde shinobi to reevaluate his life. "Do you have someone who is important to you?"

The non-sequential nature of the question caught Naruto off guard and he looked at the girl a long moment before nodding in the affirmative with a confused expression. The confirmation drew Haku from her own memories and she looked at Naruto thoughtfully.

She eventually began speaking in a solemn voice, "There was an old soldier that used to live nearby and he had a number of stories that he liked to share with the village children. He would often talk about the places he had seen and the villages he had visited. Occasionally, he would talk about some of the battles he had fought in."

"My favorite story was when he talked about bravery and strength. During his years in the army, he had seen the 'bravest' of samurai break at the first sounds of battle, while he had seen the most common of footmen turn back a platoon of enemy soldiers in the defense of a wounded friend."

"He said that the samurai fought for pride, honor, and power. While he admitted that many would see these as admirable reasons to fight, he viewed them as inherently selfish." Haku looked over at Naruto and found him listening attentively, practically hanging on her every word. The girl found herself blushing under his gaze, but mentally chastised herself for becoming embarrassed by simply having someone listen to her with such rapt attention.

Clearing her throat, Haku continued, "The soldier who fought to protect his childhood friend was far more selfless and deserving of admiration. He did not fight for material wealth or prestige, but to protect the bonds of friendship and brotherhood that had developed over a lifetime of shared experiences. The old soldier said that when you are protecting those who are precious to you is when you will become strong. For it is when you are fighting for another that you are able to exceed your limits and understand the meaning of true strength."

While the girl's soft, lilting voice was hypnotizing in its own right, the story it had communicated to him hit a cord deep within his being. It was so similar to what old man Hokage had talked about, but far more personal.

A series of memories flashed through Naruto's mind… Iruka-sensei overcoming his injuries to stop Mizuki's windmill shuriken from tearing him apart… himself executing Kage Bunshin no jutsu moments later to defend Iruka-sensei. The facts that he had performed the kinjutsu only a couple of hours after reading about it for the first time and that he had never been able to correctly execute Bunshin no jutsu had been overcome of the necessity of defending one of the first people to ever defend him. Looking over the serene girl, he found that he understood what Haku was saying.

"I think I understand." The boy's response had been far more solemn than the rest of his statements during their conversation. Haku searched his eyes, trying to discern if he truly understood what she was saying or if he was simply placating her. While she could not be certain, she found no deceit within the boy's cerulean blue eyes.

"You will become strong…" The words had escaped her mouth before she was even aware that she was speaking. This realization left her feeling vulnerable as she had, once again, lost control of the exchange. Suddenly feeling unbalanced by the whole encounter, Haku rose to her feet and offered, "I have a feeling that we will see each other again. Until then, I wish you well in your training." With a slight bow, Haku settled the basket on her arm and made to leave the clearing.

"Thanks!" Naruto responded, surprised by the unexpected comment. Smiling as the girl made to depart, he couldn't but feel glad that he had helped the girl with her task.

Haku flashed him a dazzling smile before she turned to return to where Zabuza was recuperating. Naruto watched her progress for a moment, eyes traveling from her hair, down her back, and to her…. Naruto tore his eyes away from the girl with a blush, not wanting to be caught staring again by the interesting girl.

A/N

Story Statistics as of 04/09/2008

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	10. Chapter 10

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 10: Sacrifice

Naruto arrived at the bridge to find most of the construction site bathed in a dense fog. Due to months of training and his inherent stamina, the blonde shinobi was able to ignore the strains of his extraordinary pace and focus on the situation before him.

Demonstrating that he had learned a bit of discretion, he slowed his approach and began scanning the area for threats. Despite his initial prudence, the blonde shinobi found himself slowly speeding his approach once again, unconsciously throwing caution into the wind as he passed each of new sight.

First, a large number of the workers that had been helping Tazuna complete the bridge were scattered about the construction site, their motionless bodies dotting the landscape. Next, he quickly sped pass a nervous looking Sakura, who was guarding a pale and shell shocked Tazuna. He skirted the densest patch of fog, avoiding what instinct told him was an evolving battle between Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza. As he made his way along the bridge, the final scene came into view.

He found Sasuke encircled by over a dozen mirrors. The hunter nin he had been expecting to find was no where to be seen, but blood stained much of teme's clothing. Understandably wanting to help his teammate, Naruto rushed to Sasuke's assistance.

'And like a stupid idiot, I jumped right into the middle of the mirrors without a second thought.' It quickly became apparent that the false hunter nin was responsible for the mirrors, which served as both a prison for the Konoha shinobi and an unassailable fortress for the hunter nin.

The mirrors themselves appeared nigh indestructible. Weapons had absolutely no effect and they had withstood the combined strength of fire jutsu the two Konoha shinobi had thrown at them with barely a mark. To add insult to injury, the hunter nin had simply repaired them without visible effort before using them to travel about with incredible speed, attacking the entrapped shinobi from several directions at once.

Any response to these attacks proved to be useless as the ninja simply merged with the accursed mirrors and escaped. Even a defensive response was proving to be impossible as the Iwa Bunshins Naruto summoned to shield Sasuke and himself from the senbon attacks were quickly dispatched by a delicate looking water whip, which made short work of the sturdy constructs.

The sight of his decapitated bunshin collapsing to the ground had nearly shocked the blonde shinobi into inaction. That the bunshin had resembled him in the moments before it reverted to it base element was part of the psychological impact.

The logical impact was a bit more complicated. Iwa Bunshin no jutsu produced a bunshin of chakra enhanced rock. Given the amount of chakra Naruto poured into the constructs, the bunshin should have been very durable. That the hunter nin had dispatched them with barely a gesture seemed to highlight exactly how dire their position was.

As Naruto tried to think of a way out of this mess, the blonde found that his vision was beginning to blur. As he strongly resembled a pincushion from the number of senbon needles embedded in his body, his conclusion was fairly straightforward. 'Great… Either I have lost so much blood that I can't even see straight or the senbon needles are treated with some sort of poison.'

Taking a quick survey of his injuries, the blonde shinobi settled on the poison scenario. 'Whatever it is seems to be a lot stronger than what the Demon Brothers were using.' Naruto grimaced as he noticed that his reactions were also beginning to slow, despite his bloodline attempting to combat the poison.

Distracted by his thoughts, Naruto was caught off guard as he felt his knee buckle shortly after a number of needles impacted his leg. Naruto's perception of time slowed to a crawl as the injury drew him inexorably towards the ground.

Just before his knee made contact with the paving stones of the bridge, Naruto looked up to see all of visible mirrors displaying an image of the hunter nin. Countless needles glittered in the fog filtered light as the masked images prepared to unleash another attack. Naruto found his body unresponsive as he attempted to move in the long moment before the attack.

Time continued to crawl as the masked ninja unleashed the attack, sending countless needles down upon the disabled shinobi. Although Naruto realized that he may not survive this attack, the only thought his hazy mind could generate was, 'This is going to hurt.' Despite the situation, Naruto couldn't help but marvel at his mental understatement.

Frustrated by his inability to move or create a useable defense, Naruto could only await the inevitable. Time continued to crawl for the blonde shinobi before Sasuke appeared in front of him a moment before the needles would have made impact. Naruto absently noticed that the white of the Uchiha fan adorning the back of his shirt was stained with a rivulet of blood from one of the previous attacks the teme had endured.

The attack ended a split second later and the last Uchiha collapsed with a grunt into a boneless heap. Naruto caught him as best he could, stunned by the realization that the teme had taken the attack for him. Studying his teammate's condition, Naruto found that at least forty needles were now imbedded in the Uchiha's arms and upper body.

Sasuke focused on Naruto for a moment and, with an odd smile, he whispered, "You are too slow, Dobe." And with that statement, Sasuke fell silent. A strangled croak attempted to escape Naruto's throat as he attempted to respond to his teammate.

Naruto could only stare in horror as the teme's head lulled back as the muscles supporting it slackened. A moment passed as Naruto realized that Sasuke had not simply slipped into unconsciousness… He had stopped breathing. 'He is… He is gone… He is dead…'

The thought took an unknown amount of time to filter through the blonde shinobi's mind. Throughout his time at the academy and the months since, he had considered death a great deal.

Iruka-sensei had discussed death in great detail during class, attempting to prepare his students for the life and death realities of being a ninja. The Hokage had further impressed upon the blonde shinobi that there would come a time when he would have to confront death, whether it be an enemy's, an ally's, or his own. His memories from earlier in the morning flashed before his eyes, but they were quickly pushed aside in favor of the present.

It was odd, but Naruto had never thought the Uchiha capable of such a selfless act… of sacrificing himself for another. Prior to Iruka, he had never considered that another person would put themselves in harm's way… would possibly die for him. The thought that it had been necessary sickened him. 'To be cut down defending me because I was too weak to defend myself…' Naruto's nails began to tear into the palm of his hand as he struggled to suppress his self-loathing.

A voice shattered his mental revelry and returned him to the present. "Do not mourn him for you will join him shortly. Then I will be free to help my precious person."

Although the tone used to deliver the statement was neutral, the sentiment behind the statement was anything but. The cool indifference of the ninja before him tore away the shock that had descended upon Naruto's mind and replaced it with a burning anger. They were being dismissed. 'Sasuke is dead and my death is a foregone conclusion? It is as if our existence is beneath this jerk's notice. Sasuke didn't deserve this. What about his dreams? What about those precious…'

And just like that Naruto's mental processes ground to a halt as the word 'precious' finally sunk into his mind. 'Precious person?' His eyes widened in shock as he realized exactly where he had heard that sentiment. 'The girl from the forest…' A visual survey of the ninja before him confirmed that is was possible, but something instinctive told him that it was a reality. A number of emotions bubbled through the shock he felt at this revelation.

The wave of self-loathing returned as he realized his stupidity and naivety. He had been duped and played for a fool… A pretty face and a couple of kind words had taken him in. He tried to remember if he had given anything away during the encounter in the forest that may have led to the current situation.

The fact that she had played him for a fool caused all the derogatory comments from his time at the academy to spew forth from the darkest recesses of his mind, adding to the intensity his anger. 'Dobe, Dead Last, Baka…' And despite everything, Naruto couldn't help the feeling of betrayal that rose within him. 'Was this all some sort of sick game to her?'

Naruto's head snapped up as the girl's words finally seemed to register in his mind. The blood was pounding in his ears as his anger began to overtake him. 'You will join him shortly? I am not going to just give up!!! I AM NOT GOING TO DIE HERE!!!'

XXXXX

Haku watched as a plethora of emotions stole across the young ninja's face. The final one, an odd mixture of disbelief, anger, and determination, was easy for Haku to discern. A wave of sadness passed over her as she thought, 'I think he knows who I am.'

As soon as this thought crossed Haku's mind, a storm of chakra seemed to erupt from the blonde shinobi. Churning and undulating around the boy and his fallen comrade, the explosion of blue chakra quickly shifted to a haze of blood red energy and began tearing into the surface of the bridge. She could only watch in stunned fascination as the wall of chakra grew rapidly, becoming almost opaque spiral.

A spilt second after the chakra exploded from the blonde, a massive wave of killing intent washed over the area. Even though it was unfocused, it felt so powerful… so vile that Haku had to suppress the urge to recoil from it.

Overcoming her surprise at this turn of events, Haku launched a barrage of senbon needles at the shinobi, only to have them deflected by the chakra spiral. The kunoichi quickly followed this action by attempting to disable the boy with the water whip that had been so effective against his Iwa Bunshins. The Suiton jutsu simply dissipated in a hiss of stream against the chakra surrounding the Konoha ninja.

No sooner had the jutsu been deflected than the chakra storm began collapsing upon itself. As the storm abated, the blonde shinobi came back into view, now standing, hunched, over his friend.

Haku stared in awe as the attractive ninja she had met in the forest reappeared, transformed before her eyes. His continence had darkened considerably, an aura of violence seeming to have coalesced around the Konoha shinobi.

The cute whisker marks that adorned his cheeks had darkened and thickened noticeably, giving him a far more feral visage. His mouth was drawn into a vicious snarl, revealing slightly enlarged canines. Even his hands, which had helped her gather the various medicinal herbs she used to heal Zabuza-sama, had shifted into a set of deadly claws.

The air was stifling as the red chakra continued to dance lightly around him, rolling off him in waves. The suffocating aura surrounding him had strengthened to the point where it was beginning to restrict her thoughts. The power… the sheer, indescribable power he was emitting made her own seem like a drop in the ocean.

She continued to watch in stunned fascination as the process continued. The senbon needles that had been embedded in his body were being ejected, tinkling in the silence as they hit the ground. The wounds that they had caused and the other ones he had obtained during the battle vanished before her eyes, evaporating away with a hiss of steam.

You could almost see his exhaustion and pain bleed away as his crouched form shifted into a ready stance, indicating his willingness to continue the battle. The final and most frightening part of his transformation became apparent when a set of horrific blood red eyes snapped towards her. The difference between the kind cerulean she had admired in the forest and the unforgiving crimson staring at her now caused her blood to run cold.

In that moment, as she stared into those hate filled eyes, her hopes of quickly subduing him and helping Zabuza complete the mission vanished like dust in the wind. She knew that she would be lucky to survive this encounter.

XXXXX

Rage. Undeniable, unquenchable rage. This sentiment had erupted from the storm of emotions that had assailed him mere moments before. The emotion brought his thoughts and desires to a single-minded focus that he had previously never experienced.

Naruto felt as if time had stopped. A deep guttural laugh echoed in his head as his anger rose and overrode his senses. At massive surge of power exploded throughout his body. A painful, prickling sensation coursed through his veins, increasing in intensity until it felt as if he was on fire. The power was accompanied by a sickening feeling; a horrendous taint that settled in his stomach like a large stone. This feeling was quickly pushed aside as his mind focused once again.

The power continued to build until it was practically begging to be unleashed on the world. Even this sensation was pushed aside when his eyes snapped towards the stunned kunoichi before him.

His voice clearly communicated this burning anger as it took on an extremely menacing timbre, sounding all the more unnatural as it was brought forth from a human body. "I AM GOING TO RIP YOU APART!!!" With an otherworldly roar, Naruto's arms shot forward, sending a crescent of chakra towards the mirror Haku was residing in.

Although long experience and testing had taught the kunoichi that her ice mirrors were nearly indestructible, Haku's intuition told her to move. She teleported nearly instantaneously to another mirror and observed the effects of the attack. To Haku's astonishment, the mirror simply disintegrated, the wave of red chakra cutting through its reflective surface as if it wasn't even there.

Naruto's attention shifted to her new location and, before she had a chance to react, he was before her mirror. Those horrible crimson eyes burned into her own as his fist shot towards the mirror's surface. Once again the nearly indestructible mirror gave way before the blonde shinobi. Haku remained trapped in a mirror shard as the impact easily shattered the ice construct. After a brief moment of panic, Haku mastered her emotions once again and resumed the battle, teleporting out of the shard and attacking Naruto.

To Naruto, it almost seemed as if she was moving in slow motion as she descended from above. He noticed that she was now armed with a kunai, held steadily in her hand and poised to tear into his flesh. The sight of the implacable mask approaching him from above gave rise to another surge of anger as he observed the attack.

With her position and the suddenness of her attack, Haku was hopeful that she could disable the transformed shinobi before the situation deteriorated any further. But her prey suddenly moved, far more quickly than he ever had before, and easily avoided the strike.

The blonde shinobi turned his head to witness her collision with the surface of the bridge. The masonry underneath her body buckled from the force of the impact, throwing off pieces of shattered stone. Her shock at having missed her target seemed to be telegraphed by her actions as she slowly rotated her masked visage to his current location.

Unfortunately for her, he had not been motionless during this process. After his escape, he had utilized his chakra to arrest his momentum and small flecks of stone were torn from the bridge's surface as he reversed course back towards her location. Before the kunoichi had a chance to recover her bearings, he delivered a devastating punch to her midsection, causing Haku to double over in pain as the wind was knocked out of her.

The pain of the blow had just begun to register when Naruto grabbed the arm holding the kunai, carelessly crushing the appendage. The kunoichi could have sworn that she heard the bones give way with an audible snap an instant before the biting pain registered in her mind. The kunai slipped from her grasp.

Haku was under assault from all sides. Her breathing was shallow and irregular. The horrifying aura was simply suffocating at close quarters, causing her thoughts to appear a jumbled mess. The pain in her arm was immense as Naruto's hold on her arm continued to tighten, carelessly grinding the broken bones together.

The young kunoichi found that she could only watch in muted horror as the feral ninja reared back and delivered a devastating uppercut. She felt the momentum of the punch launching her body towards one of her remaining mirrors.

Unable to focus through the pain, she was sent smashing through its surface, various shards of her own creation slicing through her clothing and cutting into her flesh. Her momentum carried her some distance from the battle.

An instant before she hit the ground, the kunoichi found the presence of mind to roll with the impact, lessening her momentum. She came to rest face down, cradling her injured arm as her face throbbed in time with her racing heart. The intense pain being radiated by her injuries was probably the only thing that allowed her to retain consciousness.

She rolled over and refocused her attention on the collection of mirrors now lying several yards away. The vision she witnessed frightened her more than she could comprehend. The remains of her strongest jutsu simply disappeared in a storm of violent red chakra as a dark figure stalked towards her.

The pain of her injuries and the effects of her extensive use of chakra during the battle caused her to fall back to the ground in exhaustion, unable to rise. Her chest throbbed in time with her breath, indicated that some of her ribs were bruised if not broken. Her arm and the side of the face felt as if they were on fire.

The steady thump of implacable footsteps reached her ears. She shifted her head to observe the blonde ninja marching forward at a steady rate. She noticed absently that his eyes had regained their cerulean hue.

Naruto approached his enemy. The girl simply laid her head down, not even attempting to rise from where she had come to rest. The sight of her face, which was now visible as her mask had been lost during their last exchange, confirmed her identity.

He advanced towards the wounded girl, preparing to finish it. But it was hard as, unlike earlier, he had some connection to this person. An odd hush seemed to have fallen over the area as he approached. His chakra-heightened senses detected every faint sound… The lapping of the water against the piers supporting the bridge… The cry of sea birds in the distance… The shallow, sharp breathes being drawn in by the girl before him.

But in the silence of a moment, something came to Naruto's attention, causing him to slow. The sound had been so faint that he almost convinced himself that he had imagined it before it repeated itself. The sound did not belong. It was a single heartbeat. The sound came from behind him and this caused him to pause. After about fifteen seconds, he heard it again.

Naruto, suspicious enough not to take his eyes off his opponent, seallessly created a number of Kage Bunshin to investigate the sound. They cautiously returned to the sight of the original battle, back towards Sasuke's body. The bunshins found that the body appeared as lifeless as before, so the sound confused them a great deal.

A Kage Bunshin dispersed, allowing Naruto to observe his teammate's body. The answer to the mystery was nearly obscured by the high collared shirts favored by his teammate. A couple of needles appeared to be lodged in Sasuke's neck…, roughly where the needles had pierced Zabuza during their first encounter. Another heartbeat was heard before long, causing Naruto to arrive at a shocking conclusion. 'Sasuke isn't dead…'

This piece of information caused him to redirect his full attention towards Haku as a couple of the remaining bunshins carried off the unconscious Uchiha in hopes that Sakura could wake him up. 'Sasuke isn't dead. The girl spared him… She could have killed Sasuke and even me at any moment, but instead she had slowed us down with her needles until she could safely disable us.'

The blonde shinobi studied the girl for a moment as he debated his options. He noted the odd empty look in her eyes as she stared back at him… she appeared to have given up, to have been beaten into submission.

"Why?" Naruto barely recognized the growl that had escaped from his mouth as his own voice.

Having watched helplessly as the Kage Bunshins carried the Uchiha towards the shore, Haku understood what Naruto was referring to. Still, the simple question seemed to echo across a great distance and slam into her. She adverted her eyes as she confronted and considered her failure.

No matter how she looked at it; in the end she had simply been too weak to help Zabuza achieve his goals. "Because I am weak… I could not bring myself to kill my heart… And for that reason, I have failed Zabuza-sama." The girl swallowed heavily before she concluded with, "Please kill me."

The anger that had been pulsing through him a few minutes ago had begun to ebb as he watched the girl before him. The thought of someone begging for death was so foreign to Naruto's mindset that it took a moment for the kunoichi's words to register. 'Such a request…' "Why?"

Once again the single word slammed into Haku's mind, but she answered simply, admitting defeat. "Because I have failed in my task and Zabuza-sama has no need of broken tools. I do not think that I can live with the shame of having failed him."

Despite the anger that still danced on edges of his consciousness, Naruto could not bring himself to kill the girl before him. Unsure of how to proceed, the blonde shinobi simply stood there until he became aware of the steady approach of a large group of people.

A moment latter another dispersed Kage Bunshin informed him that a large group of bandits and mercenaries was approaching from the distant part of the bridge, being led by a rather short man dressed in a strange suit. Content that he would not have to make a final decision regarding the kunoichi, Naruto quickly knocked her unconscious and moved to find Kakashi-sensei.

XXXXX

Small tendrils of blue chakra danced across the massive gate. At first, this display had confused the ancient demon, but upon closer inspection, it noticed that tiny, almost invisible, fractures in the gate were being repaired.

The beast immediately launched itself at the gate, testing the gate's strength, only to find it to be as unyielding as it had always been. The ancient being eventually settled itself once again, considering this turn of events while glaring hatefully at the flimsy metal gate that prevented its escape. Upon further reflection, the demon surmised that these fractures must have developed while its vessel had drawn upon its power.

The demon had released its chakra, if only to alleviate its boredom. The Kyuubi had once again been able to observe the outside world while this chakra exchange was taking place. It was at least gratified to see that its power was being used to cause pain and chaos, as opposed to the boy simply using it to heal wounds that he was too weak to prevent.

For over fourteen years, the ancient and powerful demon had been trapped in this dim, everlasting twilight. While this was but a flicker of time when compared to the creature's vast life span, it was still galled to be restrained is such a manner. Over those fourteen years, the demon had thrown all its considerable strength at the gate and the rest of its prison, but to no avail.

Its prison had withstood the onslaught without a trace of damage, not even a scratch. This fact should not have surprised to great demon as the Shinigami itself had played a role in its construction. The most recent occurrence was, in fact, the only time that the great creature had noticed any fault whatsoever in the prison that held it. As the last of the blue tendrils disappeared, the dim twilight returned. The creature closed it eyes in contemplation. 'This will require some thought…'

XXXXX

Naruto sat on the roof of the small hospital, gazing blankly into the distance. "Damn fox," he muttered as he shifted his position slightly to alleviate a dull ache in his legs. Naruto was conscious of the painful aches coursing through his body, but he ignored them to the best of his abilities. This pain had hit him like a wave as soon as the adrenaline from the battle had worn off. If the pain was lessening in intensity, it was at such a slow rate that the blonde shinobi could not detect it.

As the pain was spread throughout his body and did not seem to be related to any muscles or bones, the blonde shinobi surmised that the damage and the associated aches were related to his chakra system. He felt confused by what had occurred on the bridge, but thoughts of the demon were pushed aside as he considered the events that had come to pass earlier in the day.

Naruto's attention shifted as he resumed staring at his hands, the means by which he had killed a number of people throughout the morning. It was odd that actions that had seemed so simple at the time would come back to haunt him in such a way. No matter how hard he wished or thought, he couldn't avoid the reality of the situation. 'I killed those men... men that were someone's son… perhaps someone's brother, husband, or father… men that will never again see their homes.'

The morning had begun simply enough. After escorting Tazuna back to the house the previous night, Naruto gone out into the forest and had thrown himself into his training once again. Somehow he found himself waking up inside the room the shinobi shared in Tazuna's house. He quickly discovered that Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura had escorted Tazuna to the bridge for the day and had left instructions for him to join them when he woke up.

Naruto had quickly eaten breakfast and had dashed out of the house, cutting through the forest to avoid the winding road that led to the village. It was more happenstance than anything else that led him to find the path of destruction leading back towards the house where he rejoined the road. The blonde had only taken a moment to consider the scene before he moved to return to the house.

Having decided to trace the path of destruction, he soon found two mercenaries dragging Tsunami, gagged with her hands bound behind her, back along the road. Naruto's stomach clinched uncomfortably as he realized that he didn't see Inari, who had been in the house as well.

Oblivious to the thoughts coursing through the young shinobi's mind, the larger of the two mercenaries yanked on the length of rope binding Tsunami as he addressed the young woman. "Your whole family is turning out to be a real pain in the ass. The boss thought that making an example of your husband would be enough." Shaking his head, his voice took on a mocking tone as he continued, "But you didn't learn your lesson and you continued to cause problems…"

The smaller mercenary choose this moment to reach towards the bound woman and fondle her roughly, causing the woman to scream through her gag. "Now it is time for another example. But we'll make sure that your example is much more enjoyable for you." Laughing at her distress, the man continued to molest his captive as he added, "Who knows? Some of the villagers may even enjoy the show."

Naruto struck like lightening. He was sure that his first blow had shattered the man's jaw, but Naruto found that he could not care less. The other mercenary managed to draw his sword halfway from its scabbard before he was treated to much of the same. Four Iwa Bunshins rose from the ground to secure the mercenaries while a group of Kage Bunshins moved to set up a perimeter.

Naruto himself went to untie Tsunami and to find out what happened to Inari. This inquiry was cut short as a bruised Inari came pelting up the road and threw himself at his mother. Naruto watched with a hint of longing as Tsunami, just freed from a horrible fate herself, did her best to comfort the distraught boy.

The cold anger that he had felt moments before returned anew. These bastards would have taken… would have destroyed what was left of this family. Not satisfied with having robbed Inari of his father figure, they would have robbed him of his mother in the most disgusting way possible, not only robbing him of her presence but attempting to shatter his memories of her as well. This thought began to fester in the blonde shinobi's mind as he told the mother and son to find someplace safe while he went to help his team protect Tazuna.

After Inari and his mother were sent off with a set of Kage Bunshins, Naruto directed his attention towards the unconscious pair of mercenaries. 'They would have done unspeakable things to the kind woman. They would have done these horrible things to her before her son and fellow villagers. They would have done these things to teach the villagers a 'lesson'. And they would have enjoyed it… This scum doesn't deserve to live. They should not have the opportunity to hurt someone else.'

The remaining Kage and Iwa bunshins seemed to share his thoughts as they wordlessly gathered their charges and took them into the woods. Naruto turned and sped towards the bridge as quickly as he could. While he was not present for their end, the memory was burned into his mind.

A shiver passed through him as he recalled the blood draining from their unconscious bodies. 'I killed those mercenaries in cold blood. They were helpless and I didn't even care… I'm a sick bastard!'

Naruto's mind skipped ahead to the next person to die at his hands. A look of absolute shock crossed the shipping magnate's face as he dropped his weapon. His hands flew towards his neck in a hopeless attempt to staunch the large amount of blood flowing from around the kunai embedded in his throat. Gatou only managed a strange gurgle before he collapsed, laying motionless a short distance away from Haku and Zabuza.

The man had already attempted to attack the unconscious girl, one that Naruto had left defenseless. He had just watched the supposedly heartless missing nin from Kiri, a man who was rumored to have slaughtered countless academy students to become a ninja, selflessly throw himself in harm's way to shield the girl.

Zabuza had been exhausted and critically wounded by his battle with Kakashi-sensei, but he had still found the strength to protect the helpless girl. The shipping magnate had simply kicked the severely wounded man out of the way and lifted his weapon once again to kill the girl. Doing nothing was not a decision that Naruto could have accepted. And so, he had acted. His kunai had flown from his hand and pierced his target's throat with nary a sound.

After a moment of general silence as all those present watched the short man collapse, one of the mercenaries that had been following Gatou erupted, "That punk just killed our meal ticket!!! What are we going to do now?"

A single voice was eventually heard above the group's general muttering, "There is a village just beyond the bridge. I say we take our pay out of their hides!!!"

A wave of general muttering greeted this statement before small weasel-like man near the side of the group added, "I know a guy in Kiri that will give us a good price for some of the more attractive girls." The man smiled in a sickly fashion as he rubbed his hands together and continued, "Of course, nobody said that we couldn't sample the wares before we hand them over. You know… to ensure their quality."

A round of lecherous laughter that was scattered throughout the assembly greeted this suggestion. A massive brute armed with a battle-axe simply wondered aloud, "Do you think that the girl's pink hair is natural."

The general flow of the conversation was lost on Naruto. Almost as if he had been trapped in a fog, Naruto listlessly glanced back towards his teammate. Now visible as the thick fog bank had dissipated, she seemed wholly unaware of their predicament as she hovered above Sasuke's still body. Tazuna's pale visage stared forward with a resigned expression. Whether he had heard some of the bandits' comments or had simply guessed their intentions, Naruto couldn't tell.

Naruto turned back towards the group and moved forward. Nothing impeded his progress as Kakashi's grip on his shoulder had fallen away with Gatou's demise. The blonde shinobi was vaguely aware of the jounin shuffling through one of his pouches, obviously looking for something.

Naruto pushed these thoughts out of his mind as he came to a halt several yards away from the main group, just short of where Haku and Zabuza lay motionless. He observed the group in a detached manner.

Calling them a group of mercenaries may have been a bit generous as that would normally denote some level of discipline or military order. The mass that stood before him was little more than a gathering of bandits… of criminals that preyed on the weak and defenseless.

They were, however, armed and had a distinct numerical advantage. While no clear leader had emerged from their ranks, the disorganized mob appeared to be coming to a consensus.

"Leave or Die." Naruto was surprised at the timbre of the words that had escaped his mouth. They did not betray the emotions that dominated his thoughts. They did not betray the doubts that danced through his mind. They simply communicated his intentions without any embellishment or artistry.

While the statement had not been yelled, the blonde shinobi's voice seemed to carry easily across the distance that separated him from the bandits. The gathered bandits quieted for a moment, took one look at the teenager, and exploded into laughter and catcalls.

Naruto's anger returned and his resolve hardened as they ignored his warning. 'So be it…'

With barely a gesture from the blonde shinobi, a line of Iwa Bunshins arose from the very bridge itself. These grim faced sentinels were quickly joined by an equal number of Kage Bunshins. The mercenaries quickly fell silent. Naruto noticed that some of the more intelligent ones readied their weapons.

The Iwa Bunshins advanced slowly at first to provide cover for some of the Kage Bunshins to retrieve the bleeding Zabuza and the unconscious Haku much as they had carried away Sasuke earlier. After this task was accomplished, the remaining Kage Bunshins leapt into the air and unleashed a barrage of fireballs and kunai into the bandits' midst. The kunai armed Iwa Bunshins sprinted forward a moment later, weighing into the bandits ranks amid screams of surprise, pain, and death.

Naruto shook his head to clear the horrid images from his mind. The battle had been brutal and short. The deaths did not lose any of their impact simply because the Iwa and Kage Bunshins had done most of the actual killing. He had been responsible for the jutsus. He was responsible for their deaths. That did not even begin to address the disgust he had felt later when he assisted Kakashi-sensei in disposing of the bodies. The blonde shinobi continued to stare at his hands as he thought, 'So much blood…' And this is how his jounin instructor found him.

Kakashi was veteran of countless missions. Assassination, protection, escort, espionage… He had experienced breath taking victories and crushing defeats. Given this experience, he was well aware of the thoughts that were coursing through the young shinobi's mind. He had seen it often enough. Even blooded ninja could be caught off guard by an exceptionally brutal fight.

Usually he would leave fellow ninja to combat their own demons, as they would for him. But Naruto was his student… He sighed as he thought, 'Why did I ever leave the ANBU?'

The jounin's calm voice easily carried over the small distance that separated student and sensei. "Ninja are the practitioners of a martial arts discipline devoted to death. Whether the mission is protection, observation, or infiltration, there is always the possibility of death."

"Some of those who live by the way of the ninja care nothing about honor or the lives of others. They can move in and kill off a target without making a sound or having a hint of remorse. They only care about getting the job done. Period."

"Others operate under a different set of values. They fight to protect what is important to them. You said it yourself… 'Sometimes a person has to fight for something that is greater than they are.' This something could be their village, their friends or family, an ideal, or even memories."

Kakashi, having shifted his gaze to the distant horizon, became lost in his own memories for a couple of seconds before he continued. "A person can also fight so that others don't have to… so that others can live out their lives in peace. It would be nice if everyone could live together without conflict, but that is a fantasy."

"The Land of Waves is a perfect example of this. The citizens of this land were not hurting anyone. They were simply living in peace, going about their lives without a care in the world. That was before Gatou decided to enslave them through murder and intimidation for his own selfish gains. One of the reasons we stayed was to ensure that Wave would have a chance to prosper once again. And I believe that we have succeeded."

Kakashi paused for a second before continuing in a slightly more solemn tone. "Doubts will assail you. You will question yourself about what you did today. I want you to remember something. It will be difficult, but remember… you did what you had to do."

The jounin shoved his hands into his pockets as he waited for his words to sink in, glancing over the village surrounding them. After a couple of minutes, he began again, "It would have been far worse if you had not acted. Sasuke was unconscious and Sakura was near hysterical. I was wounded and in no shape to eliminate all the bandits. They would have descended on the village without pity or remorse. The men and children would have been slaughtered. The women would have been raped and sold into slavery."

"It is a hard lesson to learn, but the world is not a kind place. Your actions saved the village from a horrible fate. Those who have never had to make such choices may question your actions, but you should know in your heart that you did the right thing."

The jounin instructor fell silent once again as he allowed the young genin to absorb what had been said. 'The cold hard reality of being a ninja… While attempting to rationalize the killing of others in never pleasant, I guess it helps that this situation was fairly clear cut.' Scratching his chin in thought, Kakashi concluded, 'Perhaps I should give some thought to addressing the less palatable missions that he can expect later in his career.'

Naruto's eyes eventually left his hands to gaze in the direction of the bridge. The blonde shinobi had listened to the speech with such intensity that all other thoughts had been pushed from his mind. After a moment, Naruto closed his eyes and thought, 'But is it really my place to decide who lives and dies?'

Kakashi, seeing that the most difficult part had passed, continued, "There is something that you need to be aware of… As ninja we are paid to kill as often as we are paid to protect. We could just as easily be the dark figures raining down death and destruction against a stalwart figure protecting the innocent. It is a harsh reality, but it is the life you have accepted."

Having fulfilled his sensei obligations for the day, Kakashi continued, "I want you to watch over the girl for the next couple of days. Sakura is busy 'assisting' Sasuke in his recovery and is pretty much useless for anything else. While I am not quite back to a full strength, I am going to watch over Tazuna as he oversees construction on the final parts of the bridge and repairs the damage from our battle. I doubt that any of the bandits that escaped will return, but we have come too far to become careless. It shouldn't take too long to complete the bridge as the village appears to have been revitalized by Gatou's defeat and will devote all its resources towards its construction."

Glancing at the boy once again, Kakashi concluded, "She is still drugged, so you shouldn't have much trouble with her. I have come up with a decent cover story, but you may need to discourage others from harming her if the truth comes out while she is recovering. She should wake up later today and I will leave a Kage Bunshin nearby to notify me when she wakes up." Kakashi waited for Naruto to acknowledge his instructions before disappearing to check on his two other charges.

XXXXX

The room was silent except for distant murmur of activity from outside. Naruto sat motionless in a chair, staring at the slightly discolored walls while lost in his own thoughts. He seemed to be thinking a great deal recently, but that was understandable with everything that had happened since Team Seven had left Konoha.

A restless movement drew his attention away from his ponderings. Shifting his focus, his eyes quickly fell on the room's only other occupant. Haku had begun moving about an hour ago, a pretty obvious sign that she would wake soon.

The bed's occupant looked so much more fragile than she had earlier in the day. The poor lighting of the room and the drab surroundings seemed to give her a sickly pallor. Her dark hair, which stood in sharp contrast to her skin and the white sheets, was in disarray from her troubled sleep. The colorful bruise that had blossomed on her face served to remind him of the role he had played in her injuries.

After studying the girl for a moment, Naruto returned to the same argument that had monopolized his thoughts since he had assumed his guard position. 'She didn't kill us…, but she could have easily. She proved that when she decapitated the Iwa Bunshins without effort. That jutsu could have easily have been directed at either Sasuke or myself. But she didn't kill us. She said that she could not bring herself to kill her heart…'

His anger at the perceived betrayal of his trust had abated slightly, but had not dissipated. And yet there was also a feeling of gratitude that she had not killed any of the village workers or Sasuke despite having the means and the opportunity. After giving the matter some thought, Naruto concluded that it was probably her influence that had resulted in Zabuza disabling the workers instead of killing them outright. Given these thoughts, it would be a massive understatement to say that the girl lying in the hospital bed confused him a great deal.

His contemplation was brought to an abrupt halt as Haku's eyes snapped open and she frantically looked around the room. Her face froze, all emotions draining from its continence when her eyes came to rest on Naruto. The boy, who was situated in a chair against the opposite wall, returned her gaze with a wary alertness that warned her against sudden movements.

As she shifted her position slightly to assess her injuries, she concluded that she wasn't in any shape to offer much resistance should he decide to attack. As she examined the room around her, the blonde shinobi spoke, pitching his voice in such a way as to carry through the closed door. "She's awake." A slight 'pop' outside the room followed, but Haku was unable to discern its origins. The room fell into a heavy silence.

Haku eventually refocused her attention on Naruto and asked, "Zabuza-sama is dead, isn't he?" The girl's voice seemed to be void of emotion. Naruto, wary of the girl and what she was capable of, nodded his head solemnly and responded, "He was killed by Gatou."

At the disbelieving look Haku, Naruto reaffirmed his statement. "He died from the injuries he received from Gatou. The reason that I knocked you out was that Gatou was approaching us with a large group of mercenaries. After I sensed their approach, I knocked you unconscious and went to tell Kakashi-sensei about the mercenaries. I thought that Gatou was bringing reinforcements to help you." Naruto looked down at his hands as he admitted, "I just left you where you were."

After a moment, the blonde shinobi continued, "Gatou arrived and said that he was planning to finish you guys off after you had defeated us. He walked towards you, pulled out some sort of weapon that I didn't recognize, and pointed it at you.

"Zabuza appeared to recognize the weapon and he was in motion before it had even been leveled against you. Zabuza was in pretty bad shape from his fight with Kakashi-sensei, so the only way he could protect you was to throw himself between you and Gatou."

Naruto glanced up from his hands, only to find the girl to be observing him with the same vacant expression. A small shiver passed through him at the stark difference between the dull eyes staring back at him now and the warm brown orbs he had admired in the forest.

Crushing such an irrational thought, he continued, "Whatever weapon Gatou used caused Zabuza to bleed a lot. After he began gloating and aimed whatever it was at you again… I kind of snapped… I ended up killing Gatou and most of the mercenaries that he brought." Naruto's voice kind of trailed off, but Haku didn't really notice as she was still trying to process what he had said.

To Haku, Naruto's voice seemed to trail off into a distant murmur as the realization rolled over her. Zabuza-sama was dead. Her mentor and her savior… The man that had given her purpose… Her most precious person. The man who had served as the focal point in her life for the past seven years… was dead.

A band of steel seemed to tighten around her chest as her thoughts came to a heart-rending conclusion… She had failed to protect the sole reason for her existence. She had promised to serve him as his weapon, to keep him safe and to assist him in the accomplishment of his dreams. 'But I failed…'

Naruto continued to speak; unaware that Haku's attention had drifted towards her internal monologue. "Zabuza was still alive after Gatou died, but his wounds were more serious than we knew how to treat. He died a couple of minutes after the fighting ended."

Naruto paused as he recalled the minutes following the battle. Kakashi-sensei and himself had held an odd vigil during Zabuza's last moments. The man was bleeding profusely from his wounds and his labored breathing betrayed the man's obvious pain. He requested that he be allowed to look at Haku one last time and asked about her health. He had been silent for a long moment before he made his final request, 'Hey kid, come here…'

Clearing his throat, Naruto began one of the most difficult and solemn tasks that had ever been asked of him. "He asked me to tell you something before he died…" Haku's head whipped towards him at an astonishing speed. The previously dull eyes now shined with a fevered intensity that startled Naruto. He was held speechless momentarily as her gaze bore into him before he cleared his throat and continued.

"He said that he was sorry. He wanted you to know that he should have treated you better." Naruto cleared his throat again, trying to alleviate the choking sensation that had appeared as her gaze had somehow increased in intensity. He suddenly realized that, despite everything, he had underestimated the weight of the words he was communicating to the brown-eyed kunoichi. "He said that his final wish was that for you to be happy…, to live a life where you could be more than someone's tool."

The now shining eyes pinned him to his seat for what seemed like an eternity before Haku turned painfully on her side and gazed blankly out the window. The silence that descended on the two ninja was broken several minutes later when Kakashi entered the room.

XXXXX

The young kunoichi lay motionless in her bed as she glanced out the window at the overcast sky. She had spent several hours staring into space since waking from a troubled sleep filled with half-remembered dreams. The maudlin weather reflected the young kunoichi's mood as she continued mentally preparing herself for what she was about to face. 'I am going to visit Zabuza-sama's grave…'

It had been a relatively uneventful, if emotionally exhausting, two days since she had woken up. Her recovery had been relatively swift, primarily due to the numerous self-administered medical jutsus. While the nicks, cuts, and bruises had been healed with little effort, her ribs and left arm had proven to be a bit more time consuming. Her hand slid from under the rough cotton sheets and she systematically manipulated the appendage, absently noting that it seemed to be as good as new.

Throughout her recovery, her mind had been a constant whirlwind of activity. She had suffered through bouts of sadness and anger… of acceptance and denial… and of all the emotions that lie between. She would cry herself to sleep only to wake with a start, the memory of Zabuza's face staring at her accusingly fresh in her mind.

She was surprised that she had been treated remarkably well by the staff of the small hospital. It appeared that the Konoha shinobi had inferred that she had been the victim of a kidnapping; rescued soon after Gatou's death. 'They go out of their way to be kind to a fellow victim… I imagine they would offer a much warmer reception to a tool of their oppression.' Haku frowned at the uncharacteristically dark thought.

The thought, however, led her to think about her current circumstances. She was not a true prisoner, as she was not physically restrained or even confined; yet she was not totally free as she was under near constant surveillance. Copycat Kakashi had informed her that she would be staying in the village until his team departed and then they would be escort her to the border to go her own way.

It was a curious way of dealing with a former enemy, but she supposed that he didn't see her as a threat now that Zabuza had been removed from the picture.

Haku's mind began to once again turn over the story she had been told regarding Zabuza's death. The explanation seemed plausible, but that didn't stop her from analyzing it for inconsistencies. She wanted to be sure that she didn't simply meekly accept being held by those that had killed her savior.

While it was possible that they may have simply killed Zabuza themselves and were simply lying to her, she did not believe this to be the case. While taking everything with a grain of salt, an accumulation of small facts from Naruto's story and passing comments by the hospital staff led her to believe them.

'Or perhaps I simply want to believe them because as it is the path of least resistance…' At this point, she was just so tired that she felt drained of all emotion. With an inaudible sigh, Haku rose from her bed and began to dress automatically for the day.

About a half hour later, a soft tapping on the door caused her to set aside her self-analysis. She opened it to find Naruto standing there. She exited her room without a word of greeting, the blonde shinobi catching up with her within two strides.

The two exited the hospital building and walked silently through the streets, which were remarkably empty given the time of day. Haku turned her head slightly to regard the blond ninja as he began to lead her to their destination. While not a true guard, his presence still rankled a bit as Naruto was supposed to keep an eye on her until the bridge was completed. She felt a spike of irritation at his presence, but she quickly tamped that down.

He had spent most the past two days watching over her. He had been respectful of her desire for solitude for the most part and had left her to her thoughts. If she had been a bit more gullible, she could almost think that he was morning Zabuza as well given his solemn expression and long silences.

She felt a crushing wave of guilt wash over her for having such fickle thoughts. Naruto had faithfully communicated Zabuza's last words to her, giving her a perspective on his last moments that would have otherwise been lost. In addition, she was extraordinarily grateful that she had not detected a glimmer of triumph at his team's victory or even any malice towards her for her actions during all the time he had been watching her. This fact made her captivity more bearable.

She had thought quite a bit about what Naruto had said and how he acted and she could not deny that his words rang true to her. He held no malice towards Zabuza or herself. His speech even indicated that he admired Zabuza's sacrifice. As much as it pained her, she could not fault Naruto for defeating her or for the role he may have played in Zabuza's death.

Just as the two were about to exit the vacant commercial area, a stray conversation caught her attention. "That's him… That's the one who killed Gatou." Haku shifted her attention and found that two middle-aged women gossiping outside of a storefront had shared the comment. She found the expression worn by the one that had spoken to be an odd mixture of reverence and fear.

Having spent the first part of her life as a civilian, it was an expression she could understand: admiration for the tasks a ninja performs and fear of the methods they use. It is common to idealize a person when they perform a valuable service, especially when that service appeared to be super human. Haku could not think of more perfect example than eliminating a horrible tyrant that had ground a country under his boot for the past couple of years.

Her train of thought was broken by another overheard comment. "I heard he killed Gatou and his thugs all by himself… Those ninja are into to some serious shit."

Scanning the area, she found two men watching Naruto and herself impassively their place against a building, taking a break from whatever labor occupied their days. The first man was watching them with wary eyes, as his companion spat on the ground before grumbling, "Couldn't have happened to a better bunch of bastards."

And there was the other side of the coin. The general population was deathly afraid of what ninja were capable of. The fear was deeply ingrained in the minds of common villagers as shinobi are often portrayed as cold-blooded killers in children's fairy tales. They preyed on the weak and helpless and obtained horrible powers by making inhuman pacts with demons of the underworld. It was an interesting political commentary that various Daimyos and their armies of stalwart samurai retainers are often portrayed as protecting the populous from the shinobi threat.

Turning her attention back towards Naruto, she found that, if the blonde shinobi had heard the either of the comments, he did not give any indication. And this caused the reason for this excursion to come crashing back into her thoughts.

The pair continued to walk at a steady pace as they exited the town and began to ascend a small, wooded hill. Haku absently noted that the path was slightly overgrown, indicating infrequent use.

They came to a halt in a clearing that was remarkable in its normality. The slightly overgrown grass covering the ground had been trampled underfoot around a slightly raised mound of overturned soil that she assumed marked Zabuza's resting place. The kunoichi's attention was drawn to where Kubikiri Hocho stood sentinel over a simple marker.

Haku simply observed the scene from a distance before she turned her attention towards her escort. She attempted to speak softly so that her voice would betray none of the emotions tearing through her mindscape. "Naruto, can you…?" Despite her best efforts her voice failed her for a moment before she continued, "I would like some time to myself…"

He blinked in response to her words before a frown crossed his face. Given his expression, his answer surprised her. "Sure… I'll just check on you later." Naruto turned and left; the grass muffling the sounds of his withdrawal. The raven-haired girl stared after him blankly until he had disappeared down the path. A few moments passed before the girl managed to return her attention towards the purpose of her visit.

With a shuddering breath she approached the marker. Her steps were slow but resolute in their purpose. Her eyes were fixed on the sword for a long moment before they slowly shifted toward the marker. The inscription was simple. 'Momochi Zabuza - Redemption is found in protecting others.'

An overwhelming sense of hopelessness invaded her consciousness as she read those words. There was no other way to describe the realization that she was now truly alone in the world. Alone and without a purpose… Zabuza-sama had been the guiding hand that had directed her actions for half of her life. It seemed to be unbelievably cruel that fate had allowed the servant to live while master had passed.

She was the one who had sworn to protect him, not that other way around. But he had sacrificed himself and his dreams for her… and had apologized for how he had treated her. How could he apologize for saving her and giving her life a purpose? She began to weep in silence. She had sworn to be his weapon… To be a shield against his enemies and… she had failed.

A light rain began to fall, but its arrival was not acknowledged by the kunoichi. The light rain shifting into a moderate rainstorm also failed to register beyond the girl having to brush her sodden hair away from her face as she continued to stare at the simple wooden marker.

The rainfall was abruptly cut off just as a shadow passed over the ground before her. She glanced up through rain and tear fogged eyes to find a Naruto moving to kneel in front of her while another held an umbrella to block the rain.

"Haku… We should return to the hospital before…"

She refocused her attention on the Naruto kneeling before her as he had stopped speaking rather abruptly. His reddened face and adverted eyes were enough to register that something was embarrassing him. Glancing down at herself, she found that the light yukata she wore was soaked through, revealing quite a bit of what the garment would usually keep hidden.

The situation was even worse than it would normally be as she had forgone the wrappings she normally wore. This observation was cut short when a jacket was set on her shoulders and a pair of strong hands guided her to a standing position before leading her back towards town.

She looked over at the boy guiding her and found him watching her. Despite what had just happened, he wasn't leering at her or anything of that nature. His face was set in a rather solemn expression. She found an undeniable quality in his cerulean eyes. They seemed to hold a true understanding of sadness and heartache, of what it was to be alone in the world. They offered comfort without pity… 'He understands…'

Haku looked away after a moment, wrapping the jacket around herself a bit tighter, taking comfort from its warmth and the strange feelings stirred by its owner.

XXXXX

Kakashi looked up from his literature and glanced towards the shore where he observed the two individuals that had become something of a fixture over the past couple of days. The two ninja sat a small distance apart from each other, apparently lost in their own thoughts. Conversation between them seemed sporadic at best over the past couple of days. The girl had been unnaturally quiet since the Zabuza's death, rarely conversing with anyone with the exception of Naruto. Whether this was a sign of depression or simply part of her nature was anyone's guess.

His blonde haired student had also been a bit more thoughtful than was his custom since the battle. He also wasn't training as heavily, but I guess that was to be expected as he was responsible for escorting the girl. The blonde was turning out to be a bit of an enigma as he was vastly different person than what his file would indicate.

Kakashi exhaled heavily as he considered the topic of conversation Naruto had brought up the night before. To be perfectly honest, Naruto approaching him about Haku returning with them to Konoha had surprised him. The line of reasoning the blonde shinobi had used to convince him had surprised him even more.

"I don't think there will be any problems. In this case, the Hokage's responsibility to Konoha and his desire to help others coincide. A Hokage needs to be open to finding potential allies and inviting them to join the village. The old man will be helping Haku find a place to call home and strengthening the village at the same time. I'm well aware of the potential consequences and that the final decision is up to the old man. All I am asking is that she be allowed to return with us so that she isn't attacked on sight if she decides to go to Konoha."

That this conversation had taken place only a day after he had allowed the odd pair to go to Zabuza's camp to recover some of Haku's belongings was interesting. He wondered what had triggered these thoughts in the blonde shinobi, but he had decided against interrogating his subordinate about his motives.

Kakashi had granted Naruto permission to go, but allowing them to go and allowing them to go unsupervised were two totally different things. The girl had been remarkably passive since she had woken up, but there was little to gain in tempting fate. So the jounin had decided to covertly observe the pair during their excursion.

Oddly enough, their trip had begun with an argument a short way along the shoreline after they had set out. Given Naruto's hand gestures, he had defended himself rather adamantly before he gestured towards the water. The object of their apparent debate became clear when they turned as one and set off across the water towards the mainland. The fact that roughly four miles of water separated their current location from the mainland didn't seem to faze them.

The pace of the two ninja set was also a bit of a surprise. Kakashi waited for a couple of minutes before he set off to follow them. That Naruto had mastered the water walking exercise enough for this was another piece of a confusing puzzle. A four-mile trek across rolling water was a bit of an exercise even for him.

The pair made landfall on the distant shore and quickly moved farther inland. During this leg of the journey, Naruto's familiarity with tree jumping became apparent, indicating that he had quite a bit of practice with that charka exercise as well. The blonde's overall endurance was also impressive.

About an hour after the trip began, they apparently reached their destination, as a circular structure situated among the trees came into view. After a couple of words to Naruto, Haku slipped inside to accomplish her task. A short while later, the kunoichi emerged with was a small pack, hardly larger than the packs carried by the genin for their weeklong mission. Before they had set out to return to Wave, the girl had looked purposefully in his direction and had given him a two fingered salute.

The jounin responded by snorting in amusement as he thought, 'She is good. For her to both detect my presence and isolate my general location at this distance…'

Kakashi shook himself from his thoughts and decided that there was little harm in allowing her to return to Konoha with his team. While she had been working counter to the mission that they had been assigned, she had not permanently harmed any member of his team and had demonstrated a remarkable level of restraint by simply disabling the bridge workers before the battle.

The final decision regarding her fate would be left up to the Hokage in any case. Glancing back at the pair, he thought, 'And perhaps the Hokage will be willing to answer some questions as well.'

The jounin returned his attention towards the worksite where at least three hundred Kage Bunshins worked tirelessly alongside the workers under Tazuna's direction. Kakashi could only marvel at the feat. 'The boy's chakra reserves are truly amazing.'

XXXXX

Naruto sat on the pier looking towards the village. His posture, relaxed and reclining against one of the pilings, would lead most observers to assume that he had fallen asleep. But his alert gaze was fixed on the small village that was situated across the placid harbor.

The sound of laughter and music carried over the water with amazing clarity in the stillness of the cool evening. Colorful lanterns and the occasional burst of fireworks gave the village a cheerful quality that the young shinobi guessed had been absent from its streets for quite sometime.

People from across the island and other parts of Wave Country had gathered to celebrate Gatou's defeat and the completion of the bridge. Tazuna, during his opening remarks for the celebration, had said that the bridge represented a turning point for Wave: the closing of a dark chapter in their history and the chance for a brighter future.

While he had assisted in the final days of construction, he still felt that they should be allowed to celebrate in peace. This feat of engineering had been accomplished at great personal cost to many of the villagers and they deserved to celebrate. But he really didn't feel like celebrating some of the events that had brought about this milestone.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he sensed a now familiar chakra signature approaching his position a slow, steady pace. It was odd that he could identify her in such a way after only a week, but he had spent an inordinate amount of time with the girl during that time.

Naruto's attention shifted as he observed the raven-haired girl silently appear out of the shadows cast by one of the larger boats tied along the dock. She traversed the distance fluidly and settled herself beside him a short distance away. She was far enough away to give him space, but close enough that he would occasionally catch a whiff of whatever perfume or shampoo the girl used. The two sat in a comfortable silence for length of time, neither feeling the need to disturb the moment.

"What are you thinking about right now?" The Konoha genin started in surprise at the question, having grown accustomed to the silence and having almost forgotten that he had company.

Naruto glanced at the girl sitting beside him. He found himself noticing her beauty once again, as a burst of light from the fireworks lit her features. While he could refuse to answer or make up some inane comment, he felt somewhat obligated to answer her question truthfully.

As he tried to understand this feeling, the blonde shinobi realized that the answer was fairly simple… he trusted her. For some inexplicable reason he felt comfortable enough around her to trust her. He could only marvel at the fact that he felt more at ease with a near stranger than he did with either of his two teammates.

Mentally discarding the thought, Naruto returned his gaze to the village and focused on the question she had asked. After a moment he answered, "I am just reflecting on how I am very familiar with watching others celebrate from afar." There was a long pause before he continued, "This is how I have spent most of my birthdays back in Konoha."

He felt her gaze on him, but she did not ask the question he imagined was on her mind. Over the past week, they had come to an unspoken understanding: neither would pry too aggressively into the thoughts of the other. Naruto, still focused on the village, eventually offered, "My birthday falls on an important celebration in Konoha. Not everyone is welcome to celebrate… My presence at this celebration upsets others."

The latter part had been spoken with obvious resentment and bitterness and more than ever Haku began to suspect that there were deep shadows in Naruto's past that he kept hidden from all but a precious few. Despite his open personality, she had found Naruto to be a remarkably private person. She felt honored that he would share this with her, but she didn't understand his reasons. She was wondering about that as she asked, "Why did you tell me about this? It sounds like a rather personal secret."

Naruto shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to ensure that I gave you all available information before you make your choice. Konoha is a wonderful place to live, but it is not without its faults. I would hate for you to make your decision, only to become disillusioned by the reality you find in the village."

The two returned to their observation of the celebration. After another comfortable pause in the conversation, Haku broke the silence once again. "Is Konoha someplace where one can find happiness?"

Smiling slightly at the girl's choice of words, Naruto answered, "Many would describe Konoha as idyllic. It is a beautiful village with a pleasant climate. The village itself is prosperous, clean, and safe. The people that live there are generally friendly and helpful. In short, it is a nice place to live."

"But there is a darker side to Konoha. Some of its citizens are fearful of what they do not understand. Many simply follow along with the crowd instead of thinking for themselves. While this is probably true of most places, this does not make it any more pleasant for those who are affected by their narrow mindset."

Once again Haku noticed a bitter undercurrent to the blonde's words. "Naruto… Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" When Naruto responded with a casual shrug, Haku continued her inquiry, "You have described your own life as being difficult. Your previous statement and other comments you have made have led me to believe that others in your village have treated you cruelly. Given this, why do you stay in your village? You could run away and start over somewhere else. Why do you remain loyal to a village that does not appreciate you?"

Naruto had stiffened at her question. It was a valid question, but it was not a subject that he liked to dwell on too much. It was frightening how insightful it had been given what little he had said. He shifted his gaze once again to the girl sitting beside him. She appeared to be studying the water, but he could tell that she was interested in his answer.

"The answer is simple and complicated at the same time," he began quietly. "The simple answer is that I can't. It is not I am physically restrained or anything like that… it is more that I can't bring myself to consider the possibility. While I am constantly disparaged by narrow minded idiots, having been the subject of countless taunts and death threats, I have also experienced instances of unbelievable kindness." Naruto's expression took on a distant quality as he continued with his explanation.

"There is a ramen shop in Konoha that I frequent quite often. The owner of this shop has welcomed me with open arms since I was a small child. Now that I am older, I have come to realize that allowing me to eat there has caused him a number of problems and cost him a great deal of business. When I asked him about this, he said that he doesn't care about the loss of business. He allows me to eat there simply because it is the right thing to do."

Naruto shook his head slightly as he continued quietly, "The man is a single father that sometimes struggles to support himself and his daughter, but he chose the more difficult path because of his beliefs."

"Another example would be my last sensei at the academy. He experienced a great personal loss in his past… one that was closely tied to my own past. Instead of blaming me for his misfortune or ignoring me like countless others, he was able to see me as a person and has treated me as such. While he is strict and protective at times, it is because he didn't want me to make the same mistakes that he made when he was younger."

Naruto smiled sadly for a moment before he shook himself from his memories. "There are some of other examples, but there is not much point in going into them. For better or for worse, Konoha is my home. It is where those precious to me live… and it is where my heart and soul reside. I don't think I could ever betray or abandon Konoha."

Naruto glanced back over at the girl and found her studying him with a thoughtful expression. As the moment drew out, the blonde shinobi began to fidget slightly under her gaze. The level of scrutiny he found in her deep brown eyes made him nervous for some inexplicable reason. To relieve the tension of the situation, at least for him, he tried to restart the conversation. "So… we'll be leaving in the morning so…"

She blinked, apparently unaware that she had been staring at him, and responded, "Yeah… I guess I don't have much time to decide." She really didn't know what else to say. While she had talked to him several times over the past week, she still didn't quite understand the energetic shinobi.

This lack of understanding sometimes left her feeling a little anxious around him. He seemed to be a nice enough person… He had been kind enough to help a perfect stranger gather medicinal herbs to help an unknown person. He had even been considerate of her during her recovery.

But she had seen another side of him and could recall every detail of that occurrence. She knew that he could be violent… that he could be dangerous. A cold feeling passed over her as she remembered staring into those red, hate-filled eyes and knowing that her end was near. It was hard for her to reconcile that danger with the kind boy sitting beside her.

It wasn't until later that night that Haku realized exactly why that trail of thought seemed so familiar. The complicated and faceted nature of his past… The odd dichotomy between violence and kindness… 'He is like Zabuza-sama…'

XXXXX

Haku shuffled her feet slightly before she quickly masked her nervousness. She waited several paces away from where Naruto and his team were saying goodbye to the people of Wave. Time seemed to crawl as she waited for them to be finish. Having made her decision, she was actually impatient to be underway.

Finally, they were prepared to depart and Haku shouldered her pack easily before she silently fell in beside Naruto. They walked in silence across the bridge that had so recently been completed. She was well aware of the scrutinizing gazes of Naruto's teammates. She ignored them. While they had been civil to her, there was an undercurrent of tension that was almost stifling in its intensity.

They did not trust her and she did not trust them. While Kakashi cloaked his opinion behind a mask and years of experience, there were subtle tells that indicated that he was always aware of her location.

The pink haired girl ignored her for the most part, choosing to alternate between staring at her and spending her time in one-sided conversation with the Uchiha. The Uchiha himself was prone to glaring at her intently when he thought Kakashi was not paying attention. All and all, less than the ideal traveling companions.

The pace turned out to be a light jog compared to when she had traveled with Zabuza. This was primarily due to Sakura's need for constant rest stops. Although Haku wanted to berate the pink haired kunoichi as an embarrassment to kunoichi everywhere, she managed to hold her tongue. As it was, the other girl appeared to be oblivious to the glares she was receiving from her two teammates.

Due to the pace set by Sakura, what should have been a light two-day journey stretched into three. The nights passed quietly and the groups made early starts in the mornings. Naruto, much as he had during the last week, alternated between topics of casual conversation and extended periods of silence.

The dark haired kunoichi found herself becoming more and more agitated as they progressed towards the village. Although she realized that she had made the best possible decision, she was nervous about what would happen once they reached Konoha. Her future was so uncertain, but she had made her decision and she could only hope that Naruto's predictions turned out to be accurate. Despite everything, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of optimism.

XXXXX

Sakura felt a scowl settle over her features as Team Seven plus one passed through the last farming village before they would reach the walls of Konoha.

The scowl reflected her opinion of the mission, as it had been nothing like she had expected. It was supposed to be a simple escort mission where she would be able to spend some time with Sasuke. This expectation had not been overly ambitious as the extended nature of the mission meant that they would be spending a great deal more time together than normal. There should have been plenty of chances for casual interaction as they traveled during the days and relaxed during the nights.

The situation was supposed to give her some opportunities… of various sorts, and she had been planning to use them to her advantage. Her expectations had been modest. Perhaps they would be able to share a meal while Kakashi-sensei and Naruto were distracted. Perhaps she would be able to impress him by demonstrating one of the new genjutsu she had spent quite a bit of time studying. A sigh escaped Sakura as she thought, 'So many possibilities… but these opportunities never presented themselves.'

There were a number of reasons that they never materialized. First, the various attacks by Zabuza had thrown everything into disarray. Second, a number of small disasters arose in the wake of Zabuza's actions.

The first disaster had come in the form of the tree climbing exercise. While she had been able to climb up further than Sasuke originally, she was soon left in the dust as he was able to practice far longer than she could. This shortcoming may have been compounded by the fact that she had often stopped practicing at the first sign of fatigue. After all, she didn't want to fall down and embarrass herself in front of Sasuke. Plus, she didn't want to risk sweating too heavily around the raven-haired boy.

The second disaster had come soon after Naruto's confrontation with Inari. Sasuke's normally cool demeanor had become absolutely frigid after that night. He had barely acknowledged her for two days and had ignored all her attempts to follow Kakashi-sensei's advice by learning more about him.

The final disaster occurred during the incident on the bridge. Her heart had stopped when she saw the two Narutos carry a bleeding and motionless Sasuke out of the mist. She really could describe to amount of relief she felt when he opened his eyes and began complain about her proximity. His injuries had turned out to be relatively minor, but the weakness he had suffered during his recovery had been… difficult to deal with. While she tried to push aside the hurtful things he had said aside, they still rang in her mind.

It didn't help that everyone had been very tense after the attack on the bridge. While she had not been able to get a straight answer about what had happened between Naruto and Sasuke-kun while they were hidden by the mist, she was able to deduce that Sasuke-kun had saved Naruto, who then went on to defeat Haku. She was slightly disgruntled that the only reason she knew that much was due to eavesdropping on Naruto's abortive thank-you-turned-argument during Sasuke-kun's recovery.

Things should have improved after Sasuke had recovered sufficiently for them to return to Konoha. But even that bit of good news was overshadowed by a storm cloud. This storm cloud manifested itself by taking on the appearance of a dark haired kunoichi.

Haku irritated the Konoha kunoichi. There was really no other way to describe her feelings for the girl. The most depressing thing was that the feeling wasn't personal… aside from the fact that she was responsible for injuring Sasuke. Of course, this had provided her with the opportunity to assist in the shinobi's recovery, so the injury had turned out to be more of a blessing… even if Sasuke had not appreciated her efforts.

The reason for this irritation was that many of the feelings of inferiority that she thought she had left behind at the academy came welling to the surface in the presence of the dark haired kunoichi. She was far more poised than the pink haired kunoichi was, moving with almost unnatural grace while performing even the most mundane tasks.

The girl was obviously far stronger than her if she was able to hold off both Sasuke and Naruto for any length of time. And, as much as she hated to admit it, the missing nin was far prettier than her. Despite any snide comments she could make to the contrary, Sakura was forced to admit that Haku was taller, more developed, and had a complexion that most girls would kill for.

As if it was not humbling enough that Haku seemed to be superior to herself in every regard, she had also captured everyone's attention. Kakashi seemed to be hanging around the group far more than he had prior to her arrival. While he still tried to hide his interest behind that disgusting book of his, his mere presence betrayed him.

Naruto had put aside the loud and obnoxious nature that he had been known for at the academy and was often seen either having quiet conversations with the girl or simply keeping her company. Sakura didn't even want to think about why that bothered her.

'And Sasuke-kun…' She glanced over at Sasuke and found him scowling at the dark haired kunoichi. 'Even Sasuke-kun is paying attention to her. The only saving grace is that this attention seems to be motivated more by his anger than anything else…, but he is paying attention to her none the less.'

Sakura sighed audibly as she shook her head to clear away her depressing thoughts. They would be back in Konoha before nightfall and then everything would return to normal.

The young kunoichi didn't seem to remember that her thoughts had also been troubled when they had left the village.

XXXXX

Naruto felt himself smiling a bit more as the group rapidly approached Konoha. Despite the thoughts that weighed on his mind, he couldn't help but focus on the positives. He would be able to harass Iruka-sensei. He would be able to update old man Hokage about his training. He would be able to regal old man Ichiraku and Ayame-nee-chan with stories of Wave while destroying ridiculous amounts of ramen.

He would also be able to resume training with Ino-chan and Hinata-chan. It wasn't until this last thought that he realized exactly how much he missed those sessions. His smile broadened even more as he realized that he would be able to see his friends tomorrow.

XXXXX

A/N – Well, that finally concludes the events of Wave. A bit darker than the anime, but not without its positive aspects as well. While I apologize for my atrocious updating schedule, I think that I will be a bit more active since I will be able to gain some separation from canon in the next couple of chapters. The next chapter will be a bit different, as it will focus on events surrounding Teams Eight and Ten during the Wave mission. This type of chapter will be the exception as this story is primarily about Naruto. The next six chapters are outlined as original content before the Chuunin exams in Chapter 17. Hopefully they will be worth the wait.

Now for a general comment… I always thought that Haku was an underutilized character and I am a bit of a sucker for a well-written FemHaku story. I hope I was able to pull her character off in a believable fashion. The other character I always thought was short changed in canon was Jiraiya, but this will be addressed in later chapters.

Story Statistics as of 11/20/2008

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	11. Chapter 11

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 11: Elsewhere

Konoha's eating establishments varied a great deal in the quality of their food and atmosphere. The village contained some restaurants that were furnished with the finest china and were capable of catering to the discerning tastes of the most finicky Hyuuga or the Fire Daimyo himself. Others were of such quality that an observant diner would have to wonder about the low population of stray dogs and cats in the area.

Two jounin instructors found themselves in a comfortable bar that catered primarily to the village's ninja population. While not as fancy as some of the village's other drinking establishments, it was a comfortable place where a ninja could come to unwind without the hassles of most civilian restaurants. The tables were widely spaced and the murmur of quiet conversations provided a soothing counterpoint to the stressful nature of their profession.

The two ninja, having been dismissed for the day, had just received their drinks and were beginning to unwind. One of them, a striking red-eyed kunoichi, swirled the clear liquid filling her saucer before glancing towards her companion and asking, "How do you think this should work?"

Her companion seemed to ignore her question as he fished around for something in his jacket. 'Probably looking for another cigarette...'

Kurenai took a small sip of the warm sake that she had poured moments ago as she considered the meeting she and her drinking companion had just walked away from. Having finished their mission for the day, Team Eight had been going their separate ways when Kurenai had received a messenger hawk requesting her presence at the tower. She had met by her companion in route to the tower and discovered that he shared the same destination.

They had found the Hokage sitting comfortably in his office, shuffling some paperwork as he awaited their arrival. He seemed affable enough, smiling warmly in greeting and asking them if they wanted anything to drink. It had taken the young jounin a second to remember that she was meeting with Lord Hokage and not someone's kindly old grandfather.

After the initial pleasantries were out of the way, the meeting had been short and to the point. The Hokage had inquired about the progress of their respective teams and whether they were prepared for higher-ranking missions.

Apparently satisfied with the answers he had received, the Hokage had then gone on to brief them on a mission that had been received that afternoon. He then requested for them to bring their teams by in the morning, foregoing any training they may have planned for the day. It wasn't until they were preparing to leave that she realized what had been strange about the meeting.

She had just sat through a meeting involving a father and son and they had barely even acknowledged each other. While there had not been any overt signs of hostility or rancor, both Sarutobis had seemingly gone out of their way to refer to the other only in relation to their respective ranks.

Frowning slightly at her drink, she thought, 'Trying to maintain a bit of professional separation is understandable as a leader can not be seen as favoring a particular subordinate, but to simply ignore your own flesh and blood is carrying the act a bit too far. According to various rumors, their relationship has been strained for quite some time… But to actively avoid acknowledging your father or son, respectively, seems childish and a bit… sad.'

The crinkle of cellophane brought the kunoichi back to the present. Her educated guess had proven to be accurate as her fellow jounin had drawn a half empty pack of cigarettes from his pocket. After lighting the newly found cigarette, Asuma inhaled deeply and offered, "I figure that we have two options. First, we can hold their hands and walk them through the process. The second option is that we let them run the mission. Personally, I really don't feel like babysitting them and would rather let them figure things out for themselves."

Shaking her head slightly at the rather blunt summary, the kunoichi responded, "Do you really think that would be wise? This will be their first C-ranked mission after all."

Asuma gave a careless shrug as he responded, "They have to learn some time and the earlier the better. Despite the dangers, I think that the old man is being a bit cautious by assigning both teams to this mission. It is a good opportunity to assign them some additional responsibilities, as the dangers will be minimal. Besides, it should not be too demanding as both of our teams have been raised with the realities of the ninja world since they were born."

Kurenai watched the man across from her for a long moment. Despite whatever appearances and affectations he may put forth, she knew that he was a capable ninja. Still, some appearances actually reflect the truth… "I think that you just want to get out of doing all the work."

The bearded shinobi simply shrugged, giving her a crooked smile as he responded, "I wouldn't say that it is the primary reason… It just happens to be a nice benefit."

Thinking over the suggestion, she could not spot any obvious flaws. It would be interesting to see how her team would react to being left to their own devices. If anything, she would admit to being concerned with how the leadership role would be decided and how her team would interact with Asuma's.

'Not that it matters too much in the end, as we will still be there to offer guidance when called for and to assume command if things begin to come apart…' Having resolved their general approach to the mission, Kurenai decided to turn towards more mundane topics. "So, how are things going with your team?"

Looking up from where he had been glancing over the menu, Asuma responded, "Okay, I guess. I just expected to have to play a bit more active role in their training. But with all three of my students coming from shinobi clans that rely heavily on their clan techniques and having worked together since they were small children… It leaves me feeling a bit useless."

Kurenai snorted softly in understanding, as she was familiar with the feeling. Training her team was not turning out how she had expected and, if she wanted to be truly honest, her skill set was ill suited for training her team. While her specialty in genjutsu rounded out a weakness in Team Eight's overall composition, it held little value for training purposes.

"Do you think I have a walk in the park? It is not as if I can give detailed lessons on advanced Juken taijutsu or guidance on the proper care for kikai bugs. Really, my role in the team seems to come down to teaching a bit of basic field craft and keeping Kiba from insulting our clients while the team completes its missions."

The red-eyed jounin finished her saucer and paused in her speech as she reached for the porcelain bottle to refill it. "The kid is a lecher in training if I have ever seen one. He makes vile and lewd comments about practically every woman he meets… our clients, women he sees walking down the street, the daughters of our clients…"

A thoughtful frown fell over the young jounin's face before she continued, "The only exception seems to be Hinata... he has never said anything about her and he seems to act almost deferential towards her. It is a bit odd as I even had to smack him around a bit before he would stop leering at me."

Asuma exhaled a stream of smoke as he chuckled. "Hiashi probably had one of the branch members threaten to make him a eunuch if he so much as looked at her wrong."

Having some experience with the leader of the famed Hyuuga Clan, Kurenai responded, "That bastard isn't the type to care enough about her to do something like that. I have never met a more useless father or a more cold-hearted bastard."

Shrugging, the bearded jounin took a drink from his saucer before offering, "Such an action would not necessarily result from him caring about her. It would revolve around perception and respect. If he were to allow or ignore the disrespectful treatment of the clan's current heiress, then he would be endangering the honor of the whole clan… At least that is how he would see it."

XXXXX

It had had the makings of such a peaceful day. The weather was warm without the intensity that would come later in the year. The few clouds that graced the sky this morning were moving across the vast stretch of blue at a languid pace. 'A perfect day for less troublesome activities.'

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he tore his attention away from the sky and glanced around the street as he and his teammates trekked towards Hokage Tower. Ino was leading the way towards their destination at a pace the betrayed her excitement. 'Sometimes that girl can be so troublesome.'

They were traversing the village to receive their first C ranked mission briefing. The announcement of a higher ranked mission had broken Ino from whatever mood had taken hold of her a couple of days ago.

The only thing that Shikamaru knew that corresponded with this shift in the blonde girl's behavior was the departure of Team Seven on an escort mission. There could have been several reasons why this event would upset her. It could have been that she had been denied the ability to stalk her 'Sasuke-kun' or the opportunity to demonstrate her innate superiority over the infamous 'Forehead girl'.

While he didn't like seeing Ino depressed, Shikamaru had learned several years ago that it was far more preferable to simple keep his thoughts and concerns on such subjects to himself. It saved him from being smacked upside the head if she thought he was meddling in her affairs. It also saved him from hearing about her latest scheme to capture the interest of the last member of the 'noble' Uchiha Clan.

In all honesty, he wasn't being totally fair to his teammate. Shikamaru had noticed some positive shifts in Ino's behavior over the past couple of weeks. While she had always been a diligent student at the academy, he had noticed that she had recently become even more driven. As with several other subjects, the young Nara had concluded that it would be less troublesome if he kept these thoughts to himself. 'Girls really are quite strange.'

The kunoichi in question choose that moment to glance back at him and Chouji, and past them to Asuma-sensei. Having satisfactorily completed her survey, she returned her attention to the road ahead with a bounce in her step. 'Probably wanted to make sure that we had not fallen behind or stopped at one of the roadside restaurants… Troublesome girl…'

With a sigh, he turned his attention to his other friend. Long experience and a great deal of familiarity allowed him to see that even Chouji was excited and a bit nervous about their destination. It was small observations that betrayed his friend's mood… The rate at which the young Akimichi was consuming his chips and a slight tension around his eyes to name the most obvious.

Shikamaru sighed heavily, shoving his hands into his pockets as he returned his attention to the sky. He had, of course, known that the easy missions couldn't last forever. It had just been a matter of time before the rookie teams would be expected to take on more challenging assignments. 'So troublesome…'

XXXXX

The Hokage shuffled through some of the endless paperwork that defined his existence as he waited for the remaining member of Team Eight to appear. Shifting his eyes slightly, he analyzed those that had already arrived. The current generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was conversing quietly with Hyuuga Hinata. Aburame Shino was displaying the Aburame Clan's usual stoicism as he stood nearby, quietly observing everyone as they milled about the mission room.

His own son was slouched against the wall, apparently at ease with an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth. Yuuhi Kurenai simply fidgeted nervously nearby as she watched the door with growing impatience. The Hokage smiled as he thought, 'The young woman is apparently bothered that it is her charge that is delaying the briefing… I imagine that his next team meeting will be a bit more taxing than usual.' The Hokage returned to his attention to the paperwork at hand, as everyone patiently waited for the wayward genin.

It was another seven minutes before the genin in question entered the room, accompanied by his companion. The slight amount of killing intent lacing Kurenai's glare silenced whatever excuse the boy had intended to offer.

Clearing his throat, Sarutobi captured everyone's attention as he gestured for the teams to step forward to begin the briefing. "Good morning. Now that all members of Teams Eight and Ten are present, we can begin." The Hokage smiled inwardly as the group's female jounin twitched at the comment.

"As you are fully aware, it has been about two months since your class officially joined the ninja forces of Konoha. In that time you have been assigned a variety of missions that are intended to build cohesion within your teams and allow you to sharpen your skills before undertaking more demanding, more dangerous missions."

"Your senseis have indicated that your skills have advanced sufficiently to take on greater responsibilities and I happen to agree. The general responsible for Fire Country's western region has requested our assistance in hunting down a group of bandits. This group severely injured a garrison patrol that stumbled across their encampment about one week ago. That encampment was located approximately ten miles south of the primary trading post with Wind Country and, hence, is a major concern of local merchants and traders."

Scanning the genin before him, Sarutobi continued, "The group has since vanished without a trace. The general believes that the group has moved deeper into the surrounding wilderness until things cool off. This mission has been assigned a high C rank, but has the possibility of escalating to a B rank due to the possibility of low ranked missing nins working with the bandits. Therefore, I have decided that Teams Eight and Ten will both be assigned to this task."

XXXXX

Ino had to strain to keep from grinding her teeth as the loud dog boy spouted off another comment about how they should be traveling at a quicker pace. The road they were traveling along was unremarkable and that made for a long and boring trip. In order to maintain general alertness, the dual senseis had deemed it the perfect opportunity to practice different traveling formations. The current formation had placed her near the complaining idiot and his dog.

'Of all the teams we could have been assigned to work with, it just had to include that thickheaded, perverted prick.' This title was well earned, at least in Ino's opinion, due to the feral boy's chauvinistic views. The fact that he was a loud-mouthed bastard that felt inclined to share his stupidity with others only served to exasperate the situation.

While it seemed an elementary deduction that teenage boys would act like perverted idiots around girls, it seemed that she had been cursed to draw a disproportionate amount of their attention. While some would be satisfied with the occasional glance or with making fairly innocent comments about her; generally about what she was wearing or briefly about how attractive she was; there were a few that would discuss things that would make her skin crawl.

Kiba just happened to be the ringleader of this little group and that fact had not ingratiated the feral boy to the blonde kunoichi or the other female members of their class. What was the most galling was that the group of perverts made no attempt to hide their conversations. In fact, they seemed to go out of their way to make sure she overheard them in many cases.

'I would not be surprised if the idiots had some addle-brained notion that I would fall all over myself if I knew of their interest.' Snorting in disgust, Ino thought, 'As if I would ever let those brainless idiots touch me like that! They had a lot of nerve to insinuate that I was the type of girl that would do those unspeakable things… well, unspeakable if it involved them.'

While a good number of the shinobi attending the academy had been a bunch of perverted morons, there had been several exceptions to this trend. Sasuke-kun and Shino had always held themselves apart at the academy, so they had never been guilty of talking about her behind her back. Shikamaru and Chouji had more interesting, 'less troublesome' pursuits, namely clouds and chips, to waste time discussing girls much, if at all.

'Of course that did not stop the lazy duo from taking offence on my behalf.' Ino smiled warmly as she remembered a specific instance. It had occurred near the end of their tenure at the academy, when the class had been moved outside for 'advanced taijutsu training' and sparring practice.

Two of the brainless idiots had taken it upon themselves to become exceptionally vulgar with their comments. As was their practice, they were careful to ensure that Iruka-sensei did not overhear them, but they showed little restraint otherwise. A lewd comment here… An inappropriate motion or groan there… While subtly and tact had never been their strong suits, they had been in rare form that day.

Just when the situation was becoming intolerable and Ino was planning out her retribution, a fist the size of small garbage can slammed into the pair and sent both of them sprawling into the dirt. One of them had been knocked unconscious by the attack, while the other seemed to have twisted their ankle in the fall.

As she observed the aftermath of the 'accident', she couldn't help but notice a thin tendril of shadow withdrawing into the tree line surrounding the sparring grounds. When she located the lazy duo, she found Chouji apologizing convincingly to Iruka-sensei for letting his technique get out of control. Shikamaru was standing off to the side and simply shrugged his shoulders when he noticed her inquiring gaze.

It was memories like that that endeared her teammates to her like few others. The three of them had always been close, as close as any siblings could be. Being an only child herself, she had always thought of them as brothers. 'Remarkably lazy and unmotivated brothers, but brothers none the less.'

Even as they had matured, Ino's view had not shifted. The three of them had essentially been raised as siblings. It had not been uncommon for each to stay at one of the others' house for extended periods of time if missions or other matters had called one set of parents away. And, as often as not, family gatherings included the other members of the infamous ninja trio. The very idea of either of them 'checking her out' or making obnoxious comments like the other idiots brought forth the urge to scoff at the notion's absurdity and shiver in revulsion.

With the exception of those four, every other male at the academy had been beyond redemption. 'Well…' Now that she thought about it, Naruto had been another exception. While there were times when his pranks required him to have precepts of good taste beaten into him, he wasn't perverted in general.

And while he had been obvious and… exuberant about his affections for Sakura, the general trend of these affections always seemed rather pure and innocent, almost bordering on worship. Furthermore, while he was always fairly aggressive in his pursuit of her attention, there had always been an undercurrent of naivety about his interest.

As she had several times over the past couple of weeks, she wondered what type of situations had formed Naruto into the person he was and what would cause him to act in such a way. Naruto was actually a lot more complex than she had always believed him to be. While some of that may have been how little attention she had paid her fellow blonde, it was more that he simply hid many aspects of his personality. To this end, she resumed analyzing what little she knew about him.

'He is an orphan… He didn't seem to have any close friends at the academy nor am I aware of any from outside. He has always been very loud… He acted out in class from nearly the first day… He liked being the noticed, whether for his bright color choices or his pranks… He liked attention… good or bad; he simply wanted the attention of others. That seems to have shifted a bit, but it still holds true.'

'He is a very open person… No, that is not quite right… While appearing to be an open book, Naruto is actually fairly private. He only shares what he wants to. He seeks attention, but not at the expense of letting others too close… Has he been hurt in the past? That would explain some of the suspicious looks he cast my way when we first began training together.'

Shaking her head as she had been down this path before, Ino continued, 'Given what I know now, I am willing to bet that Naruto was more interested in being Sakura's friend and spending time with forehead girl than dating her and everything that would entail. Why he fixated on her is a mystery that probably even Naruto would have difficulty solving.'

She held no illusions now that she wouldn't have minded having at least a few more boys like Naruto around. He was willing to help her train and had showed her several exercises that allow her to improve her abilities. Her father had even complimented her on improving herself outside of usual team training. None of the other shinobi from their class were willing to help her train… they were too lazy, too anti-social, or interested in something other than training.

The thought about her father brought up a rather non-linear thought. He had always been fairly protective of her, especially as she was growing up. He had always warned her to be wary of being alone with shinobi, even ones that she trusted. The reason was fairly simple... While fairly rare, instances of assault and rape were not unheard of in Konoha's ranks. It was odd that, despite all her father's warnings, those thoughts had not even registered in relation to Naruto. It didn't fully occur to her until now that she had been spent an inordinate amount of time alone with Naruto before Hinata had joined them.

Caught off guard by this thought, Ino tried to analyze it. In the end, she had simply never been concerned about him. Even when she had been unconscious after her failed Shintenshin no Jutsu attempt, the thought of him taking advantage of her had never crossed her mind. Something instinctive told her that Naruto would sooner kill himself than do anything to hurt either Hinata or herself. A bit startled at the force of that mental assertion, the young Yamanaka decided to push her thoughts of Naruto aside in favor the other person to enter her life.

'Hinata…' For Ino, Hinata's presence over the past couple of weeks had begun to fill the void that had been left when Sakura had declared herself to be Ino's rival. While they had been in the same class for years, she had rarely interacted with the girl during their time at the academy. The smaller girl had always been a shy, introverted soul and Naruto's presence only served to exacerbate those aspects of her personality. What surprised Ino the most was that, despite the vast difference in their personalities, she found herself becoming genuinely fond of the Hyuuga heiress.

Despite appearances, Ino did not have that many close friends and even fewer female friends. Sure, she had a large number of acquaintances from the academy, but no one she was willing to share confidences with. All of them had been focused on their social status within the academy to such an extent that they would have betrayed her if it had been to their advantage. 'Even Sakura had turned out that way in the end…'

Shaking herself mentally from the maudlin thought, Ino concluded, 'I should make some effort to keep in contact with them, all the same. Given a bit of maturity, some of the girls from the academy could turn out pretty well.'

While only time would tell, Ino believed that Hinata would prove to be an excellent confidant; especially for those topics she didn't feel comfortable talking about with her teammates or Naruto. She was a lot more level-headed then most of girls their age…, except when it came to Naruto.

Upon reflection, Ino concluded that it had been a remarkable couple of months. Her skills had improved a great deal since graduation and she had somehow managed to develop two new friendships in the process. All in all, life was going pretty well.

XXXXX

The first light of the morning found Hinata double checking her equipment in the room she had shared with Ino and Kurenai-sensei the previous night. Her sensei had already left and the faint sounds of Ino in the adjoining bath were the only sounds to interrupt her thoughts. Hence her thoughts seemed to gravitate towards the blonde kunoichi.

To Hinata, friendship was a new experience. Despite that fact, the young Hyuuga had quickly come to appreciate how both Ino and Naruto had been treating her since they had begun training together. Over the past couple of weeks, they had practiced nearly everyday together, simply sparing with each other and practicing various chakra exercises.

It was a far more relaxed learning environment than home or even the academy. While they would point out her mistakes and suggest how to correct them, it was with a smile and a helping hand. No anger, no condescension… They didn't look down upon her if she stumbled or made a mistake. They didn't tell her that she was weak or a disgrace to her clan.

In truth, it had taken a couple of days to get over the initial awkwardness, but a solid friendship had begun to develop between the two girls. To Ino's way of thinking, this was inevitable at the two girls had been spending a large amount of time together. To Hinata, it was a novel experience.

On the other hand, Hinata wasn't positive that she would ever get over the awkwardness she seemed to experience constantly around Naruto. That did not stop her from valuing the experience beyond description. In addition to any other reasons, Hinata quickly noticed that Naruto was a very enthusiastic training partner. He pushed himself and those around him to improve each and every day. He went out of his way to assist others. He even encouraged her to spar with him using the Juken.

Of course, this required her to activate her Byakugan in his presence. It had taken her several days to suppress to more… amorous thoughts that occurred to her during these matches, but she eventually managed to put the opportunity to good use.

The odd thing was that young heiress wasn't quite sure if Naruto understood exactly why she blushed as often as she did during their sparring matches. Regardless, Naruto never teased her about it.

These facts only served to endear the blonde shinobi to her all the more. She had admired his drive and determination for so long… He simply never gave up and that simple fact deserved to be rewarded. She wanted for him to succeed… to be able to overcome the various obstacles that others had placed in front of him. Above nearly everything else, she wanted Naruto to be happy.

She wanted to see him smile. She wanted to hear him laugh. She wanted to see him triumph over those that had cruelly persecuted a defenseless child. On a more selfish note, she wanted to play some role in that success. And, in the darkness of the night, she admitted to wanting so much more than that.

Her other training partner had turned out to be a bit of surprise. Ino supported and encouraged Hinata, something that the young Hyuuga deeply appreciated. Even though Ino a bit pushy and tended to concentrate on the more superficial parts of life, her heart was in the right place. She was also patient and non-judgmental when Hinata would become flustered around Naruto.

The young heiress let out a small sigh as she remembered that it could be a couple of weeks before she saw him again. A slight scowl appeared on her face as the thought brought forth some of the less pleasant thoughts and conclusions that had come forth in the few days since she had last seen the blonde shinobi.

Lost in her thoughts, the young Hyuuga didn't notice Ino's approach. "You should try and cheer up a bit." The Hyuuga heiress let out a startled 'eep' as she spun around to face the blonde kunoichi only to find her smiling at her in a comforting manner.

"We will be back in the village before you know it. Naruto may even be there to greet us upon our return." Ino smiled at the flustered girl as she added a tad too innocently, "Perhaps you could even have another picnic with just the two of you and you tell each other about your missions."

"I… I… I…" Ino intervened before the dark haired kunoichi could complete her sentence.

"It's okay, Hinata. I am not going to tease you about your feelings… at least not too much." Smiling at her shy friend, Ino added, "I am happy that you have been able to finally spend time with Naruto. The fact of the matter is that you have quite a few people that wish you the best of luck."

Hinata could only stare blankly at Ino, slightly aghast, as she thought, 'Have my feelings become that obvious?'

Ino smiled softly at the dark haired kunoichi, causing Hinata to relax a little. As if reading the other girl's thoughts, the blonde kunoichi continued, "It's obvious to everyone except Naruto that you have a crush on him. It has been obvious for quite some time."

The blonde kunoichi resumed her preparations for the day as she continued, "When I first met you back at the academy, you were the one of the shyest and most soft-spoken people I had ever met. But your shyness was always taken to new heights whenever you were around Naruto. Whenever he was anywhere near you, you began stuttering and would most often be sporting a severe blush. But you have made quite a bit of progress over the past couple of weeks." Making one final adjustment to her hair, Ino whispered, "If anything, I am a bit jealous."

At the sharp intake of breath from the young Hyuuga, Ino quickly continued, "It is not like that. It's just odd that you have made far more progress with your romantic interest than I have ever made with mine. You have gone from having a hard time saying a straight sentence in his presence to being able to enjoy several hours a day in his company."

Ino frowned slightly as she continued, "And he actually welcomes your company, instead of…" Instead of continuing with that depressing thought, Ino turned to finish packing. After a moment, she carelessly added, "I really don't understand what you see in Naruto, but I guess there is no accounting for taste."

Hinata's embarrassment vanished and her eyes narrowed as she felt a flash of anger at Ino's implied insult. Ino didn't notice as the Hyuuga heiress quickly repressed the surge of emotion that leapt through her, hiding it behind a mask that she had worn for most of her life. However, instead of simply hiding her resentment, this feeling caused Hinata to ask a simple question after a slight pause in the conversation.

"Ino, how w… would you describe the perfect boyfriend?" At Ino's inquisitive gaze, Hinata clarified, "Not anyone in p… particular, but what are the traits that you would look for in a person you would pursue a relationship with?"

Ino glanced over at Hinata for a moment before beginning to answer, "Well… Obviously, he would have to be a shinobi. He would be handsome and talented… Strong, but modest." Ino's voice took on a slightly softer tone as she became distracted by her daydream. "He would be gentle and kind… He would have a sense of humor and have a great smile. It wouldn't hurt if he was slightly bashful and a good listener…"

As Ino trailed off, Hinata waited a couple of seconds before softly making her point, "How many of those attributes does Uchiha-san possess?" The taller girl's head snapped towards Hinata, only to meet a pair of uncharacteristically angry lavender eyes.

As Ino opened her mouth to reply, Hinata continued, with a tone far more assertive than was her custom, "To my knowledge, Uchiha-san is neither kind nor gentle. I… I have never seen him tell a joke or smile kindly at another. While he is an excellent s… shinobi, he is very arrogant and g… generally ignores those around him. I am not s… sure if he is a good listener, but I doubt if anyone knows that as he generally spurns the company of others."

Ino was about to rebuke Hinata for her derogatory comments about Sasuke-kun when the normally shy girl continued, "T… to me, N… Naruto-kun represents all the things you described a… and more. I would appreciate if you did not degrade h… him in my presence as I do not say anything about Uchiha-san."

The comments were very mild by most standards, but coming from Hinata, they may as well have been yelled at the top of her lungs. Ino was left speechless as the smaller girl finished her packing and left the room to join the rest of the team.

XXXXX

Shino had long been a student of human interactions. His studies had progressed a great deal, as the academy had been a veritable feast of information with regard to human behavior. Friendships and rivalries, attraction and repulsion, ambition and lethargy. As was his clan's practice, he had played the role of the unobtrusive observer, attempting to understand his surroundings.

While missions gave him the ability to observe a greater number of people, it lacked the depth of his time at the academy. But this mission provided him with the unique opportunity… the opportunity to observe known quantities under new circumstances. Each of the genin assigned to this mission had been known as individuals… now he could observe them in a team environment and after having been separated for several weeks.

The members of Team Ten had an interesting group dynamic. Yamanaka seemed to be the driving force behind the group overall, generally prodding and harassing two male genin into action. The girl was loud and assertive, resembling Kiba's role in Team Eight if only in that regard.

Whereas Hinata and himself generally ignored Kiba's ranting and complaining, Team Ten seemed to have a much more collegial relationship. It was easy to see that teamwork came easily to the trio. Perhaps it was due to their personalities… or perhaps it is due to the length of their relationship with each other.

Personally, he thought that he would have little difficulty in working with the members of Team Ten. While he didn't have the close personal ties the other two male genin shared, his relationship with Shikamaru and Chouji had always been fairly amicable. Where many others at the academy seemed incapable of sitting still and appreciating a bit of quiet, the pair would often join him by the large tree near the academy where they could talk quietly and simply observe their environment.

He was not very familiar with Yamanaka as a great deal of her time at the academy had revolved around the Uchiha and, as such, he had had little interaction with her. He imagined that, as long as she was professional and didn't possess an aversion to his companions, they could work together with few difficulties.

The apparently new friendship she had struck up with Hinata spoke well her as he had found Hinata to be a good judge of character. Still he was slightly confused by this new development as, to his knowledge, the two kunoichis had not been very close at the academy, having such different personalities and interests. And yet he had observed the two kunoichis interact with each other in a familiar manner indicative of some level of friendship. In all honesty, Shino was slightly taken aback by the interaction between Hinata and Yamanaka.

This particular study was complicated by that fact that their friendship appeared a bit strained this morning if the body language of the two girls meant anything. A quick analysis of the personalities involved led the quiet Aburame to conclude that Yamanaka was probably the source of the conflict. It was a relatively straightforward conclusion as Hinata, while not as shy as she had been while attending the academy, still preferred to avoid confrontation.

In truth, she was one of the least confrontational people he had ever met. She did not get involved in the squabbling that seemed to involve every other kunoichi in the academy. That spoke well for his teammate… Or it simply indicated that her interests lied in another direction.

The young Aburame was shaken from his thoughts when Asuma-sensei began speaking, "We have decided that this mission is an excellent opportunity for each of you to gain valuable experience. You have obviously spent a great deal of time training in your individual specialties and with your fellow team members. This mission will give you the opportunity of working with other ninja and with other teams."

Well familiar with avoiding responsibility, Shikamaru voiced his suspicion, "What you mean is that you want us to do all the work… How troublesome."

Asuma offered the youth a crooked smile as he offered, "Well, since you are so talkative this morning, what is the first step in completing this mission?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he responded, "Intelligence. We need to locate and observe the enemy to…"

Irritated that the lazy Nara was being asked for his opinion instead of him, a certain Inuzuka decided to interject. "Don't worry about it. Akamaru and I can easily track down the bandits. We will have this mission wrapped up by tonight." The brash statement was met with variety of expressions, ranging from bored indifference to outright annoyance.

'How can we operate with any efficiency when my teammates can not even master their own emotions?' Observing the odd collection of individuals, Shino concluded, 'Perhaps some things are meant to remain a mystery.'

XXXXX

Ino sighed heavily and rolled over to glance at the person lying a short distance away, knowing full well that Hinata was still awake, despite appearances. But that didn't make what she was about to do any easier. Thinking back over the past couple of weeks, Ino realized that she would either have to make more of an effort to control her mouth or become more accustomed to making apologies.

Ino had thought a great deal about what Hinata had said. Unfortunately she had also thought how her jibe at Naruto had contrasted with her previous thoughts about the blonde shinobi. Her thoughts had essentially boiled down to one, simple question: 'Is it really that much of a stretch to see a good person and a friend as a romantic interest?'

Taking her chance to smooth over their discussion from earlier, Ino attempted to apologize, "I sorry if I offended you earlier. I didn't mean the comment the way it sounded. It is just…" And that was it. Ino could not pin down exactly what caused her to make that comment to Hinata.

Hinata responded quietly after a long moment. "It is alright… Love is an odd thing... Universally sought, yet poorly understood."

Ino looked over towards Hinata in confusion. She found the smaller girl staring at the tent's ceiling, her pale eyes seeming to glow as they caught the limited light from the camp's low fire and the moon. The statement left Ino even more tongue tied than before, as she tried to understand where it had come from.

Of all the reactions she had imagined to her apology, Hinata cutting her off with a vague philosophical statement was not one of them. Studying the motionless girl, Ino observed that the sense of melancholy that she had commented on earlier seemed to have intensified during the passing day.

The girl lying beside her shifted slightly, but did not alter her focus from the tent's ceiling. "For years I thought that I was in love with N… Naruto-kun. My heart would race every time he was near. I would watch him constantly from afar, whether he was planning a prank or practicing in the forest. He often occupied my thoughts even if I hadn't seen him for several days."

A soft sigh escaped the shy girl as she continued her whispered monologue, "But how could I love him if I did not know him? Prior to joining you two in training, I had not exchanged much more than a sentence or two with him and those were simply stuttered greetings. I thought I knew him, based on simple conjecture and observation." There was a slight pause before the shy girl concluded, "But the last few weeks have shattered those illusions… He is far more complicated than I imagined."

Ino listened to the girl lying beside her, wondering where this conversation was going. 'Is she talking about herself or indirectly commenting on how little time I have shared with Sasuke-kun?'

"He is not perfect and has his faults just like anyone else." Hinata, unaware of the mental questions her comments had raised in her companion, reflected back on the picnic she had shared with Naruto not so long ago. "He is often… imprecise in his speech. He has fears and insecurities. There are times when he is depressed and short tempered."

"But for all his faults… I find myself falling for him even more. These traits add a depth to him that did not exist before. They even seem to highlight his admirable qualities instead of detracting from them."

A warm smile, barely visible in the darkened tent, blossomed on Hinata's face as she continued, "He is generally kind and supportive, encouraging to those around him. He is diligent in his duties and resilient in the face of adversity. He genuinely cares about the feelings of others and what is important to them. He is willing to go to great lengths to help a friend."

The ghostly refection from the young Hyuuga's eyes disappeared as Hinata, sighing, closed her eyes before continuing. "I no longer daydream of him sweeping me off my feet. I find myself simply wishing to spend more time with him… to hear him laugh, to listen to him complain, or to simply sit together in comfortable silence. Such thoughts cause me to feel… remarkably content."

Hinata paused as she reflected on the time she had spent with the blonde shinobi since graduation. Everything had been so much simpler before she had gotten to know Naruto. But, despite the complications, she would not trade the time she had spent with him for the entire world. She held conversations with him, sparred with him, and tried to impress him with her skills, both martial and culinary. Since getting to know him, Naruto no longer sat on a distant pedestal in her eyes.

No, he had become something tangible… a real person with faults, pains, and burdens. It seemed almost inevitable that her crush would simply evolved, growing in both depth and breath. At times Hinata even imagined that her daydreams were not so impossible… that they had been transformed into something obtainable. It wasn't until after talking to her father that she realized exactly how much she had been deluding herself.

Ino watched in the darkening tent as Hinata paused once again, lost in her thoughts. The smile had slipped from the other girl's face, only to be replaced with an emotionless mask.

When she began speaking again, there was an almost imperceptible change in her tone. While the young girl had been talking softly so as to not be overheard, her voice fell even further, so much so that Ino had to strain to hear her, even across the short distance that lay between them.

"But I have recently come to a troubling conclusion. As a Hyuuga, I will never have the freedom to pursue a relationship with N… Naruto-kun." Hinata swallowed heavily as if making that statement had cost a great deal.

"There are two possibilities that can come to pass over the next couple of years. I can be confirmed as the clan's heiress or I can be passed over in favor of my younger sister, Hanabi. As heir, I would be expected to marry from within the clan in order to 'maintain the purity of the bloodline'."

The girl's distain for this possibility laced her words like a fine poison. It was so unlike the normally mild-mannered girl that Ino was left to reflect on how unusual this conversation was. "That possibility holds little appeal, as I have… never been comfortable with my family, extended or otherwise."

The bitter tenor of the young heiress's voice slipped away and was replaced by the girl's usual soft tones. "It has been generations since a main house member was allowed to marry outside of the clan. If I were to be passed over, I would most likely be placed in the Branch family, relegated to the role of a second-class citizen within my own family."

"There is one dispensation that is granted to the Branch family members that is denied to the Main Branch… That is the ability to marry outside of the clan. However, the clan elders must confirm this choice and it is traditional for the outsider to marry into the Hyuuga Clan. I cannot see them approving of Naruto-kun and I don't think he would be happy submitting himself to the clan's structure."

Ino really didn't know how to respond to this latest statement. In fact, this whole conversation was rather surreal. For one, this was the most she had ever heard the shy girl say at one time. It was also about her family, a remarkably personal topic for such a private individual to discuss.

Her comment about the difficulties in marrying Naruto, whatever her reasons, seemed to hold a grain of truth. The Hyuuga Clan was among the most conservative and traditional clans in Konoha. It is not difficult to imagine how the Hyuuga elders would react to Naruto, being a rather loud and boisterous person known for pranks and practical jokes.

Nor was it difficult to imagine how he would react to them attempting to run his life. It saddened her that her new friend seemed resigned to giving up her dream just when she was becoming close to the object of her affections.

"But you cannot choose to fall in love nor can you choose to stop it. It is a sad thing to be so close to your greatest wish only to realize that it will forever be out of your reach." There was another pregnant pause in the conversation. "Perhaps some feelings are destined to remain unknown and unrequited." Hinata fell silent for some time, apparently contemplating something, and Ino was reluctant to interrupt the girl's thoughts.

The young heiress resumed speaking in a manner a bit more upbeat than the soft tones that had composed the majority of conversation. "But being married isn't necessarily the only way to make the person you love happy and content. I have read that if you truly love someone, you are more concerned about their happiness than your own." The young girl shifted her position slightly before she continued, turning to look at Ino for the first time since beginning the conversation. "It appears that I will need to be content to be his friend and offer any support I can to help him to achieve his dreams."

Ino noted that Hinata's voice had taken on an interesting inflection during the later part of her speech… an odd combination of acceptance and resolve. The young Yamanaka didn't doubt that Hinata would follow through with her vow.

On a side note, Ino was slightly troubled to hear Hinata speak so eloquently about love and marriage, topics she herself had devoted a great deal of thought towards. Hinata's view seemed so much more… mature when compared to her own and that left her feeling uneasy. She didn't like feeling like a child, but the inference that her views more resembled that of a fairy tale than real life was clear.

It was also troubling to hear that she was simply going to give up her dreams. Even if Ino didn't understand what drove the Hyuuga heiress, simply giving up went against everything that she believed in.

To succeed or to fail… those are two outcomes that could result from any action. It went against her very nature to not even try. And yet the girl before spoke of pushing away her feelings and denying herself the chance to even try.

'Is it cowardice to simply not give up or is it nobler to forgo a dream that is destined for failure? Hinata spoke of her own feelings, but what about the object of her affections? Is it fair to him to deny him even the knowledge that someone cares for him? Is it fair to deny him the ability to make his own decision? Hinata spoke of their friendship, of caring for him for so long…'

The blonde kunoichi responded, "My mother always says that you should stay true to yourself. If you are unwilling to acknowledge and pursue your dreams, the currents of life will sweep them away. Despite what difficulties may lie ahead, you shouldn't give up on your dreams, Hinata. Nothing is set in stone… and, despite what you may think, Naruto could surprise you… both with regards to what would make him happy and what he would endure to achieve that happiness."

XXXXX

It had taken two days to pin down the bandits' location. This delay was due more to the confusion the local army units had created during their search than to any difficulties in tracking down the bandits themselves. Even though the trail had been a little over a week old, Team 8 had been able to follow the bandits quite easily.

Asuma lit a cigarette, ignoring the snort of disgust from his fellow jounin, who was leaning against the large rock located in the middle of the clearing.

It had been an interesting process to observe how the leadership of the mission had worked itself out. Team Ten had apparently appointed Shikamaru to be their spokesperson. That this had been accomplished without argument or much discussion surprised the bearded jounin, as he had believed that Ino would have at least attempted to grab the spot. The role of spokesperson had quickly evolved into team leader. The only voice of dissension had been from the Inuzuka, as the other two members of Team Eight had given their unvoiced assent after some reflection.

It amused the cigarette smoking jounin quite a bit that the near dead last of the academy had been appointed mission commander by his peers. 'Just goes to show you that the academy instructors still don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.'

His thoughts were brought back to the present when Shikamaru began the final walkthrough of the assault plan. "Our goal is to subdue and pacify the camp. The general wants to make a public show of bringing the bandits to justice through a series of trials."

Asuma, deciding that now would be a good time to ensure that the group's priorities were straight, offered, "That being said, we are not going to hesitate to eliminate any threats to our team. If you or one of your teammates is in danger, I fully expect you to act accordingly. That means you are to use deadly force to avoid any threat or injury."

Shikamaru acknowledged the comment with a nod before he continued with his briefing. "The camp is arranged in a circular formation on the crest of a low-lying hill. The surrounding area has been cleared of underbrush, but remains moderately forested. They are well situated against assault from an army patrol, possessing both high ground and clear lines of sight. This appears to indicate some military influence in their setup."

"Our surveillance of the camp, which was led by Hinata and Shino, has identified forty-three targets within the camp. They appear to have four sentries posted around the camp at all times with periodic sweeps of the surrounding areas by small patrols. Again, the level of discipline in these aspects of their setup should be noted."

"Hinata has also indicated that four, possibly five, of the targets have chakra systems developed enough to indicate some ninja training. We are currently unaware of their skill level, but Hinata has estimated that none of them are above the rank of low chuunin in terms of chakra capacity."

Glancing around at the assembled ninja, the young Nara couldn't help but observe Kiba's petulant scowl as he mentally cursed both Ino and Chouji for forcing him into this position. Sighing softly, he continued, "As you know, we have been observing the camp for the last twelve hours to get a feel for our adversaries. Based on the gathered intelligence, the best opportunity to subdue the bandits with minimal force and risk is to attack the camp during the early evening."

Looking over the five other genin, Shikamaru continued, "The first phase of the operation will be carried out by Ino and myself. In preparation of the evening meal, the cook will exit the camp to obtain water from the nearby stream. He has done so unattended for the last two meals and will be out of sight of the main camp. This leaves us with an opportunity to drug the water that is to be used for the evening meal. We should be able to introduce a subtle soporific to dull the bandits' senses."

Ignoring the disgusted snort from the feral genin, Shikamaru continued, "The second phase of the operation is to eliminate the roving patrol that will likely be sent out immediately after dinner. This will stop them from surprising us later on or escaping in the confusion. Asuma-sensei and Kiba will accomplish this task. Between the two of them, they should have no trouble tracking down and disabling the patrol after they are a safe distance from the camp."

"In the third phase of the operation, Kurenai-sensei will utilize a wide area genjutsu to induce sleep in preparation of our teams entering the camp. This effort should be made easier by the soporific we introduced. We will also take steps to subdue the possible shinobi. During the surveillance phase of the operation, Shino marked these individuals for elimination."

"As soon as the genjutsu begins, Shino will instruct his allies to disable these individuals. His allies should be in place as they are currently infiltrating the camp through the forest canopy. If any of the bandits prove to have sufficient training in the shinobi arts to recognize the genjutsu, they should be distracted enough for the kikai bugs to subdue them quickly."

"The forth and final phase of the mission is to move into the camp and restrain the individual bandits. Asuma-sensei and Kurenai-sensei will be responsible for the storage scrolls containing the restraints provided by the army. The duel application of the drug and the genjutsu should prove sufficient for these circumstances. However, everyone should be cautious to ensure that they can support their teammates if a problem arises."

"Once all the bandits have been secured, we are free to signal the reinforced patrol, which is situated nearby. Given the distances involved and the terrain, the patrol should reach our location about forty five minutes to an hour after the signal."

"Hinata and Shino will be responsible for overseeing the potential ninja. Shino's kikai should ensure that they remain unconscious. If they should awaken, Hinata will be able to disable the possible shinobi with her family's techniques." Glancing around at the assembled genin, the young Nara asked, "Are there any questions or comments?"

XXXXX

The Konoha teams were settling in for the night after having turned the bandits over to the garrison patrol. Ino was absently playing with her remains of her dinner as she turned recent events over in her mind. A thought occurred to her as she looked up to find that Hinata also appeared to be reflecting on the mission. "Hinata, do you mind if I ask you a question about the Juken?"

The pale-eyed girl frowned almost imperceptively before responding, "You can ask… But I may not be able to answer some questions."

Ino accepted the answer, not really expecting anything else. However close a friendship may be, ninja simply didn't discuss certain aspects of their clan's abilities. "When we were preparing for the assault, you mentioned that you couldn't see a person's tenketsus unless the person is using chakra… How are you able to use the Juken against Naruto in the sparing matches if you don't have a target?"

The Hyuuga heiress considered the question for a moment before responding. "Well, y… you don't need to see a person's tenketsus to use the Juken. Even if it is undirected, the presence of foreign chakra in a person's body can be very painful… It can be debilitating to an opponent even without removing their a…ability to use chakra. But I w…want to become stronger, so I have been training to see a person's tenketsus even when the person is not actively channeling chakra."

Hinata blushed when she realized that she had been rambling a bit, but continued, "But that does not answer your question about Naruto-kun…"

Hinata colored further for some reason before moving closer to Ino and continuing in a low voice, "Naruto-kun is a bit of a special case… All ninja have a visible chakra system. This system holds clues that communicate a ninja's chakra r… reserves and their experience with different kinds of jutsu. These clues can be studied to give a fair representation of an individual's jutsu level. For instance, your chakra reserves have grown a great deal since you graduated from the academy."

Ino's sense of pride at her progress warred with a sudden sense of exposure. The blonde kunoichi couldn't help but feel a slight uneasiness at having her abilities measured and catalogued in such a manner. 'If Hinata is able to do this, what is stopping others in village keeping tabs on fellow ninja? Are there others in the village besides the Hyuuga Clan that analyze a ninja's progress in such a way?'

If Hinata noticed Ino's reaction, she ignored it as she continued. "The tree climbing exercise and your jutsu training have greatly increased your reserves and y… your abilities. But your overall reserves are nothing compared to Naruto-kun's. It is hard to describe… He practically glows even when he is resting."

Hinata's tone took on a husky, breathless quality as she concluded, "And when he is performing a jutsu… it is simply breath taking." The pause in the conversation became a bit awkward as Ino waited for Hinata to shake herself from her thoughts. The smaller girl eventually did and found Ino watching her with a small smile.

Hinata began pressing her fingers together in a nervous fashion as she continued, "Sorry about that… His c… chakra system is one of the most developed in the village. The only ninja that I have seen with a chakra system anywhere near as developed is Hokage-sama. I would not be surprised if there were only a handful of ninja in the village with chakra reserves anywhere near the size Naruto-kun's. This fact makes his tenketsus standout like stars in the night sky."

A/N

It has been a while, but this story has not been abandoned. I decided to buy a condo and it needed some renovations… They became a bit more involved than I thought they would be and with life, work, etc… well you get the gist of it.

As for the chapter, some additional character development for Teams Eight and Ten… It simply served to show that teams besides Team Seven have their own quirks. If nothing else, this chapter served to add a bit of color to the story, specifically Ino and Hinata. In case it wasn't obvious, this chapter coincides with the Wave mission and will have been completed by the time Team Seven returns to Konoha.

Story Statistics as of 05/26/2009

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	12. Chapter 12

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 12: Training Continues

The morning following Team Seven's return to Konoha found Sarutobi Hiruzen staring calmly towards the Hokage Monument, watching as the sun's rays began to fall on the stone carvings. The Hokage was deep in thought, nursing a cup of green tea, as he contemplated the issues associated with the return of Team Seven.

There were three distinct issues that occupied his thoughts, but all of them revolved around Naruto to varying degrees. The first issue was Kakashi's circumspect comments about Naruto's training. It was obvious to the elderly Hokage that Kakashi had reasoned out that he had been offering some assistance to the young shinobi. 'It was probably the Iwa Bunshin technique that gave it away…'

Sarutobi did not in any way regret assisting Naruto, but he didn't want the jounin to look too far for an explanation or to look too hard into Naruto's activities. The elderly Hokage chose to neither admit nor deny the jounin's inquiry. He had simply responded with, 'How many pranks has Naruto undertaken since he graduated from the academy?'

The Hokage smiled to himself as his eyes followed a bird across the sky. 'Such a simple question, but rather complicated in its implications. Kakashi believes that he understands, but he simply assumed that the jutsu were merely a means of keeping Naruto occupied. And despite his motto of looking underneath the underneath, all individuals are prone to accepting the most obvious explanation.' Still, Kakashi is now aware of some the assistance Naruto is receiving...

The Hokage didn't even consider curtailing his activities as he had so many mistakes to rectify. His negligence had cost the boy a great deal and he was intent on making amends, even if the boy was too kind hearted to hold it against him. A heavy sigh escaped the elderly man as he thought, 'Assisting Naruto is the only hope I have of being worthy of the forgiveness that he has granted me.'

The second concern revolved around Naruto's use of the Kyuubi's chakra during the mission. Of the three, this was the least of his worries. While he was aware of the hysteria that information would cause if it were generally known, Sarutobi also knew that it was not uncommon for jinchuuriki to use their tenet's chakra in stressful situations. The seal array set in place by his successor was by far the most complex and robust constructions he had ever even heard about, let alone been a party to. While an inspection of the seal would not be out of order, Sarutobi knew that Arashi's seal has worked flawlessly for over fifteen years and had little doubt that it would continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

The final and most pressing concern was what to do about their new arrival. The girl, Haku, represented a number of problems for the village's elderly leader. While it wasn't unheard of for a hidden village to accept a defector, it was still a risky practice as their loyalties are often muddled and uncertain.

Upon her arrival in the city, she had been provided a medical checkup and had been interviewed by Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi. As a further precaution, she was currently under surveillance by the ANBU in the secure holding facility within the basement of the tower.

The interrogation/interview report that he had received a few hours ago, along with Kakashi's mission report, provided a number of relevant facts, but failed to address the heart of the issue. 'Can she be trusted? Does she retain any anger or resentment against Konoha for Zabuza's death?'

The matter was complicated by the fact that this case differentiated itself in many ways from a typical case of defection/asylum. First, it may not be fair to call Haku a defector, as it doesn't appear that she ever served as a ninja for a hidden village. According to the report, she never even attended the Kiri academy, having been trained exclusively by Zabuza for the last seven years.

Second, she had no reason to hold any loyalty to Kiri, as factions within the Mist government had been responsible for the persecution of her family. Her mother had escaped this persecution and had started a family, only to be discovered years later by her husband. While some stories could be developed to give credence to a defector's claims, this one had the unmistakable ring of truth. The elderly Hokage closed his eyes as he mentally went over the summary of events catalogued in the report. 'Such a tragic childhood…'

If the young woman decided to remain in Konoha, a whole other set of problems would arise. Such a decision would create a rather unique situation of a valuable bloodline being held by a single, unattached young woman. Whether she was aware of it or not, she would need to be protected from the grasping manipulations of Konoha's minor clans. The Hokage would not put it past some of them to take rather unsavory measures to gain control of the Hyoton bloodline.

As he was distracted by his thoughts, the Hokage did not respond to the door of his office opening as Naruto arrived with an ANBU escort. Noting the Hokage's distraction, the ANBU operative decided to draw his attention. "Hokage-sama."

Glancing over to his guests, Sarutobi began, "Hmm… oh yes. Thank you for delivering the message. That will be all." With a respectful bow, the ANBU left and the Hokage turned his attention towards his guest. "Naruto, if you would please come and take a seat," the Hokage said as he gestured towards the chairs in front of his desk.

Naruto approached the chairs with a little trepidation, as he was not even sure why he had been called here. While he had been in this office hundreds of times, this was the first time that Naruto had received an official summons to the tower since he had become a genin.

The Hokage, apparently sensing a bit of his nervousness, gently offered, "Naruto, just sit down and relax. This isn't an interrogation or anything. I just have a few questions about your recent mission."

Naruto nodded his acceptance of this explanation, but still remained a bit tense as he sat down. After the blonde shinobi refused the Hokage's offer of tea, the old man began, "I understand that you had quite an eventful mission. Could you describe the mission from your perspective?"

Naruto did so, warming to the topic as he moved through the story. He described the initial ambush by the Demon Brothers and the confrontation with Zabuza. He described the condition of the village and his meeting with Haku in the forest. After a moment's hesitation, Naruto even disclosed the decisions surrounding to mercenaries that attacked Tsunami. His story finally reached his arrival on the bridge, the 'death' of Sasuke, and the thoughts that ran through his mind in the moments after.

Although he was not sure as to the reason, disclosing the details of what had happened to another person made him feel better. While Kakashi knew most of what happened, Naruto had not felt comfortable enough with the jounin to discuss it with him. But the Hokage had always been fair with him, even when he had been guilty of pranking various villagers or defacing public property.

To Naruto's relief, the Hokage did not cringe in light of the facts or scowl at him for his decisions. He simply listened patiently and allowed him to discuss events at his own pace. There was a long moment of silence after Naruto completed his tale.

Sarutobi had not asked any questions during the recital, nor had he made any comments while the story unfolded. That this simple interview had turned into more of a confession caused the elderly shinobi to weigh his response. The Hokage had noted the haunted look in blonde shinobi's eyes as he recounted various decisions and actions. The boy was looking for absolution from one of the few adults he could talk to and he had to be careful.

Sarutobi began solemnly, "You were obviously deeply affected by the decisions and that fact speaks volumes about your personality. It is important that you maintain that part of yourself that abhors death as a necessary evil. But it is in fact necessary and you need to accept that death is a part of the life of a shinobi."

Reaching into his drawer to retrieve his pipe and bag of tobacco, the Hokage solemnly intoned, "A true shinobi should never enjoy taking the life of another. It will always be an important aspect of our profession, but it is something to be treated with respect and a bit of fear. If a person becomes too jaded towards the plight of others, then they lose that something that makes us human. There are those that eventually become accustomed to casually inflicting harm to others, either becoming addicted to intoxicating aspects of power or blind to the repercussions of their actions."

Taking a second to pack his pipe, Sarutobi continued, "But, on the other hand, you cannot show mercy to every enemy you encounter. Mercy needs to be tempered with the realities of life because a living enemy can become a danger to you and all that you hold dear. Empathy and compassion… These emotions can be useful tools…" Sarutobi paused briefly to light and puff at his pipe. "But only as long as you are the master of your emotions. You cannot allow your emotions to master of you."

"In this case, you succeeded. Despite what happened on the bridge, you were able to maintain enough control to reign in the Kyuubi's baser urges. You refrained from killing one enemy out of hand, despite have the motivation and opportunity to do so. And yet you were willing and able to carry out a less than pleasant task in order to protect the citizens of Wave. It is important for you to realize that you could not have simply scared Gatou's underlings off, as an organized band of that size would have caused some real problems for the surrounding countryside."

A companionable silence fell over the pair as they reflected on their own thoughts. This was broken when Sarutobi moved on to one of the decisions he would have to make later. "I have read Kakashi's report, but I would like to hear your thoughts about Haku before talking with her."

"Why?" Despite the challenge, the elderly Hokage found himself smiling at this response. 'Such a blunt and honest response… Why don't others ever take the initiative to ask that simple question?'

"Because I value your opinion and… You are in a unique position to shine some light on her motives. You may not realize it, but you possess a number of traits that enable you to get people to open up. You are friendly, honest to a fault, and have the ability to empathize with others. Kakashi stated that you were the primary force in convincing her to return with your team and spent the most time interacting with her following the battle. Please just describe your impressions."

Naruto remained silent for a moment as he organized his thoughts. "Well, she is… different. She very quiet most of the time and likes to observe others. I don't quite understand why she was so attached to Zabuza, but she was. He was her precious person… She… is a bit lost without him…"

Sarutobi allowed the boy a couple of seconds before he continued, "Why do you think that she has come to Konoha?"

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Naruto answered, "To live… She really had no place else to go. She didn't seem to… like being a missing nin and has lost her reason for pursuing that path. I guess Konoha was simply something different."

While cringing mentally at the vague summary of the girl's reasoning, Sarutobi simply asked, "Do you trust her? And more importantly do you think I should trust her?"

Naruto frowned at the question, but took the time to turn it over in his head. Unbidden, Naruto thought back to the bridge as he stood over the helpless girl as she labored to breathe. The anger that had driven him moments before bleeding off as he realized that she had spared Sasuke. The emptiness he observed in her eyes as he stared at her had called to him on an almost instinctual level. The days that followed led him to contemplate that feeling a great deal. She had lost everything she cared about… everything she held precious.

Looking up from his contemplation, Naruto answered, "Yes… She had every opportunity to kill Sasuke and even me during our fight. Instead of killing us outright, she used her skills to disable Sasuke so that she could proceed with her mission. While I am not sure that I would be as forgiving to my opponents, I can not help but admire her for her actions."

Less certain than before, Naruto continued, "She is looking for something. She lost everything on the bridge and she wants to find something to live for…"

Watching the boy for a moment, Sarutobi eventually responded, "I think that you are far more generous than you give yourself credit for. Can you think of anyone else that would ask their jounin instructor to allow a former enemy to return with their team?"

Not really expecting an answer to the rhetorical question, Sarutobi pursed his lips in thought before continuing, "I think I will offer her a place in the auxiliary forces… It should give her an opportunity to find her calling."

Unfamiliar with the term, Naruto naively inquired, "Auxiliary Forces? What are those?"

Sarutobi frowned at the question before he remembered who was to blame for the young boy not knowing this aspect of Konoha's military structure. Feeling the pressure of the debt he owed to this boy, the elderly Hokage patiently asked, "Naruto, how many academy graduates from your class were made genins?"

While caught slightly off balance by the non-sequential question, Naruto responded, "Kakashi-sensei said that only nine of the graduates would become genin. Why?"

Patient as always, Sarutobi continued, "What do you think happened to those that failed the genin tests?"

Naruto responded somewhat blankly. "I thought that you were sent back to the academy if you failed. Does something else happen?"

Falling fully into his professor persona, Sarutobi continued, "The graduates are actually sent back to the academy for more training, but they may never pass the regular genin test. Instead of simply allowing all the training that those individuals received to go to waste, they, like many others, are given the opportunity to join the auxiliary forces."

"Essentially, they become part time ninja. They attend training and are called upon to perform missions, but not as regularly as your own team. These activities allow the auxiliaries to maintain certain basic skills and to continue their training. Some continue to advance and are allowed to become regular ninja after a skills test. Many simply remain with the auxiliaries and choose to pursue other careers."

Trying to wrap his mind around the concept of devoting only a fraction of his time towards training and missions, Naruto asked, "Why do we need failed genins when we have the real ninja forces?"

Sarutobi shook his head about the assumptions of youth before he began again, "You said that nine individuals from your graduating class became genins. From what I recall, that seems to have been the average for some time. Let us say that the average ninja is able to serve in a full combat capacity for about twenty years. Given that a class graduates from the academy every six months and barring any early retirements, deaths, defections, or serious injuries, that would place Konoha's regular ninja forces at about 360 ninja. Do you really think that Konoha could project any kind of military power with only 360 ninja?"

Sarutobi paused for a moment before continuing, "No matter how powerful they are individually, that small of a force would simply be insufficient to meet the needs of the village let alone Fire Country during a major conflict. The academy is simply one avenue by which ninja enter Konoha's ranks. Some individuals are trained outside of the academy or even Konoha. Some join from other ninja villages or even bring skills from other military disciplines. The auxiliaries provide a transition into Konoha's regular ninja ranks."

"Besides those I just mentioned, the auxiliaries are also comprised of older ninja, regular ninja that are on extended leave, and others that may be receiving special training. In times of conflict, the auxiliaries are activated and partially integrated with our regular ninja forces. During these times, if falls upon the regular force chuunins to train and play the role of squad leaders for the auxiliary forces."

"As for the why they are necessary, you need to understand the village's role in a major conflict. The military strength of Fire Country is broken into three primary military forces: the Daimyo's army, the ninja of Konoha, and the monks of the Fire Temple."

"The Fire Daimyo maintains a standing army numbering well over a hundred thousand. In addition to the standing army, there are the reserve forces that could be called up to supplement the garrisons stationed within various Fire Country cities and villages. The core of the Daimyo's army is a cadre of samurai that both command the soldiers themselves and serve as the army's true strength."

"Samurai are formidable opponents as they possess chakra-negating techniques that make them immune to most forms of ninja combat. These techniques render genjutsu and ninjutsu virtually useless against a high level samurai. Most taijutsu forms, even those that don't rely on chakra manipulation, would be considered suicide against a well-trained swordsman. Samurai are also known for their stamina and physical conditioning. This is easy to understand as they adhere to physical regimens similar to those pursued by someone of Maito Gai's caliber.

"The monks of the Fire Temple have taken chakra manipulation to another level. The chakra exercises they master are actually based on nature's chakra. Many of the monks entered the temple after having served faithfully as samurai. This gives them a unique prospective on how to deal with both ninja and the samurai themselves. Only the most faithful of the Daimyo's samurai are allowed to set foot within the Fire Temple, let alone undertake the training to become a warrior monk. Hence, this branch of the military, while the smallest, is the most fanatical and, perhaps, the most dangerous."

"In the event of war, the Fire Daimyo may request our assistance and Konoha's forces would be expected to assist the standing army, acting as scouts, spies, and support…" While their discussion continued for the better part of an hour, it eventually returned to Naruto describing the progress he'd made over the past couple of weeks and Sarutobi offering training advice.

"Can I ask you a favor?" As the Hokage nodded his ascent, Naruto continued, "You said that the Kazama Clan was fairly wealthy and that I would be able to make some special purchases as long as I was discreet." At the Hokage's second nod, Naruto continued, "I wanted to know if you could buy three sets of the chakra weights that Gai-sensei uses for training."

The Hokage studied Naruto for a moment before answering. "Such a purchase would be quite expensive, but well within your means. I assume that you will be using one of the sets." After receiving a nod in response, Sarutobi continued, "May I ask your plans for the remaining two?"

Naruto struggled not to squirm under the Hokage penetrating gaze as he responded, "I planned to give them to my friends." The old man simply lifted an eyebrow in response, an odd smirk appearing on his face. The implied question was obvious to the blonde shinobi and Naruto continued, "They have helped me improve quite a bit, and I thought that… maybe the weights could help them as well."

Smiling softly, the old man offered, "That is really quite generous of you… I will make the purchases as you have requested. You may have to be a bit patient as the purchases may take a week or so to accomplish."

XXXXX

Later that day, Haku stepped into the Hokage's office under ANBU escort and was instantly met by the old man's penetrating gaze. "Please step outside, I would like to speak with my guest alone." said the Hokage as he began to fill his pipe. The ANBU members obeyed, bowing as they left the two alone. The Hokage smiled at the girl and offered Haku some tea or some other refreshment. His offer was politely declined.

Lighting his pipe, Sarutobi watched his guest for a moment before offering, "I wanted to meet with you to discuss your plans for the future… should you choose to remain in Konoha."

Haku had taken a couple of moments to examine the office's only occupant. Sitting before her was the God of Ninja, the legendary Professor that had led Konoha for nearly forty years. Despite his advanced age, he still possessed an unmistakable air of power… of assurance. If she was perfectly honest with herself, the man's mere presence was enough to send a chill down her spine.

Shaking herself from her observations, Haku responded, "You mean I have a choice?" The question had come before she could stop it, her shock at his statement overcoming her wariness of the man. She berated herself for the slip itself and its informality. This was the most powerful man in the village; his guise of a kindly old man making him all the more dangerous.

Apparently amused by the blunt response, Sarutobi responded, "Of course. You actually have several. But before we get to that I would like for you to tell me why you accepted Naruto's offer to return to Konoha. It may seem redundant after all the questions you have been asked, but please humor me."

Haku seemed to turn inward as she determined how to answer the question. There were a number of avenues she could consider, but this was a man long accustomed to reading the intentions and veracity of others. A blanket of silence had fallen over the office, the only disturbance the occasional puff of smoke as the Hokage indulged in one of his few vices.

'Honesty will serve me best.' After an indeterminate amount of time, Haku began to speak, "I was just so tired. I was tired of running. I was tired of hiding. I was tired of the constant tension. I was just tired. Zabuza-sama said that I should pursue a fate other than being someone's tool and Naruto offered me a chance to start over."

Looking up at the elderly Hokage, Haku continued, "I thought it would be worth the chance to see if this village could offer me something different. I wanted to find a place where I could relax and not have to worry about a squad of hunter-nin or a group of bandits ruining my day. It has been a long time since I could simply relax… since I had a place to call home."

The kindly old man gazed at her for a long moment, apparently weighing her very soul, before he nodded, apparently accepting her answer. "As I said before, you have several choices available to you. You could decide to leave the city or remain here. If you chose to remain here it could be as a ninja or as a civilian. Should you wish to become a ninja, there are also a couple of choices."

Pausing to ensure that he had the young woman's undivided attention, Sarutobi continued, "Should you wish to serve as a Leaf kunoichi, I can arrange for your skills to be tested so that you ranked appropriately. It may be a bit irregular, but you don't exactly fit the mold of our typical ninja… having been the apprentice of a Class A missing nin. From there you could begin taking missions or enter a training program. Naruto indicated that you might have an interest in pursuing a specialization as a med-nin."

Once again taken aback by the turn in the conversation, Haku bluntly inquired, "Naruto said that?"

Chuckling at her slightly dumbfounded expression, Sarutobi continued, "Yes, he did. Naruto is a fairly observant person and it appears that you have made quite an impression on the boy. He spoke very highly of you during our discussion and I have found him to be an excellent judge of character."

Now Haku was even more puzzled. She didn't respond to the comment, but her confusion must have shown clearly on her face as the Hokage chuckled softly once again. "You obviously would like to ask a couple of questions yourself. Please speak freely and I will answer if I can."

Haku struggled to regain her composure as she began, "I am sorry but your statements and the whole meeting has thrown me a bit off balance. I was not expecting such an open reception. Nor was I expecting the leader of the village to speak so casually or with such familiarity about a genin. It is just a bit surprising," she added.

"In most cases, you would be quite right. But Naruto is a bit of a special case." Puffing on his pipe contemplatively, Sarutobi continued, "Due to certain circumstances, I have taken a special interest in boy since he was very young. Though I have not always been as attentive as I should have, I like to think that I know him quite well. From my experience, he has demonstrated a gift for seeing the good in people. That I trust his judgment in this regard is probably why the tone of this discussion is a bit different than what you expected." Haku expression took on a contemplative air as the Hokage continued to smoke his pipe.

Clearing his throat to draw the young woman's attention, the Hokage clarified, "I trust his judgment, but my trust is not foolish. Be aware that you will be under observation for the foreseeable future. You are an unknown quality in a village full of wary and paranoid individuals. Both Naruto and myself believe that you are sincere and that you will become a valuable addition to Konoha, should you choose to become a kunoichi. In addition to your bloodline, our med-nin program could use a bit of… honest enthusiasm. I hope that we do not come to regret the faith we are placing in you. The results of betrayal would be most unpleasant."

Haku didn't respond immediately. The thinly veiled threat did not cause her any unease… It actually made her feel better about her situation. Bowing her head solemnly, Haku responded, "I believe that I will accept your generous offer to enter your medical program. I hope to live up to your expectations and prove that Naruto's kind words were not misplaced."

Pleased with the girl's decision, Sarutobi added, "You probably don't realize this, but the two of you have quite a bit in common. Your interview indicated that the Bloodline Conflict has played a large role in how your life has unfolded. Much as you were born with your bloodline, Naruto has also been persecuted for something beyond his control. While I am not inclined to discuss the specifics of Naruto's past, you would probably find him receptive should you ever want to talk. He is a good person that few have ever taken the chance to know."

Smiling at the description, Haku stated, "He certainly is a unique individual. Do you know where I might be able to find him?"

The old man gave the girl before him a kind smile. "That shouldn't be a problem, as he should be waiting outside the door to meet you. I have taken it upon myself to find you a place to live for the time being and your belongings should be waiting for you there by the time you arrive. I have instructed Naruto to give you a brief tour of the village before taking you to your apartment. Once you are more familiar with the village and are receiving your stipend, you will be free to find other accommodations if you so choose."

Sensing that the meeting was coming to a close, the young woman rose and bowed to the elderly ninja. "Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama."

Rising to escort the young woman to the door, the Hokage added, "I should be able to arrange for you to be tested in two days. Although your rank will not be that important while you are training, it will give me a better measure of your skills and the role you will serve as a ninja of the Konoha."

XXXXX

The day had proven to be quite eventful and it was barely half over. Naruto had proven to be a very… unique guide to her new home. While he had taken the time to point out various shops and points of interest, the tour had also proven to be a walk down memory lane for the tour guide. He had spent much of the time enthusiastically recounting warm memories and a surprising number of pranks.

Their venture into the commercial district had been short, but Haku couldn't help but notice the hateful looks they received from various villagers. It was a rather sobering experience during what had been an eventful day.

Shaking herself from her thought as she cast an inquiring glance at her blonde guide, Haku asked, "Was it just a coincidence that the apartment across the hall from yours was available?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto answered, "Not really… Not many people want to live in this building. In fact, I think that we will be the only residents on this floor."

Haku frowned thoughtfully at this piece of information. "Is there something wrong with the building?" The young woman had noted that, while Naruto's apartment building may not be the most luxurious accommodations she had ever seen, it was well maintained and solidly built.

"No. The building is in pretty good shape… and the rent is actually quite reasonable. The only problem is that… I happen to live here." Naruto finished his statement in a tone little above a whisper, his continence reflecting his darkened mood.

The admission had brought Naruto back to when he had first moved into his apartment. He had been so optimistic when the old man had told him he would not have to go back to the orphanage. He would able to eat what ever and when ever he wanted. No body would take away his things or destroy his bed. Needless to say that his optimism was short lived. His reflection stirred up some painful memories of his earlier years.

Uncertain of how to respond to Naruto's admission, the young kunoichi choose to simply ignore it. "Well, I guess we should see what this place looks like." Haku pulled out the keys to her new apartment and inserted one of them into the lock with a bit of trepidation. It had been a long time since she had had a place to call home, even on a temporary basis.

XXXXX

Yamanaka Ino wandering through the woods with a bounce in her step, looking forward to training with Hinata. The two kunoichi had been working on their chakra control and endurance over the past couple of days and the young blonde was pleased with the measurable progress she had observed since their mission. Since Team Seven had still been absent from Konoha upon their return, these training sessions had only consisted of the two kunoichi.

Ino had good reason to be cheerful, as her day had been going smoothly. To her pleasant surprise, her teammates had been more energetic than was the norm this morning. This had allowed Team Ten to actually train for a couple of hours before rapidly completing two missions with time to spare. That being the case, the young blonde wandered into the clearing, already planning ways to spend the extra bit of money. She was shaken from her daydreams by the sight of a masculine figure working his way through a mid-level kata in the dappled sunlight of the clearing.

'Naruto is back.' The simple thought as she watched the her fellow blonde warm up in the middle of the clearing actually caused the kunoichi to feel an odd flutter in her stomach.

Shifting her attention to the rest of the clearing, Ino was somewhat surprised to find another girl, besides Hinata, sitting off to the side. The girl in question was conversing quietly with Hyuuga heiress, apparently having been reading a stack of scrolls moments before. She couldn't help but notice how striking the girl looked… Flowing, black hair provided a strong contrast to her flawless, pale skin. The neutral expression she wore did nothing to take away from her beauty as she held herself with an undeniable poise. The girl wore an informal kimono that Ino could tell didn't originate from Konoha. 'Who is she?'

Ino, having finished her appraisal of the girl, decided to approach Naruto and find out how his mission had gone. The blonde kunoichi called out her greeting as she fully entered the clearing. The shinobi in question stopped his routine and responded, greeting her with a bright smile.

Ino smiled broadly in response. She couldn't help but realize in that moment that she had actually missed him quite a bit. Prior to their respective missions, he had become an odd but welcome fixture in her routine. Training partner, friend, and dinner companion… It troubled her a bit to realize exactly how much she had missed that goofy grin of his.

Having exchanged a couple of friendly barbs, the two blondes began to make their way over to Hinata and the other girl that Naruto introduced as Haku. The two blondes joined the two young women on the grass and, after some prodding from Ino, the shinobi began to recount the events that had transpired during the past couple of weeks. While Ino listened intently to the tale of chuunins and elite swordsmen, the young Yamanaka couldn't help but notice that Naruto's face became far less animated as he approached the later parts of the story.

During a brief, but uncomfortable pause in Naruto's tale, Ino interjected, "What are you so grumpy about Naruto? Did Sasuke-kun show you up on the mission or something?"

Somewhat annoyed at her glib comment, Naruto responded, "No, Ino-chan, he didn't. The great Sasuke-teme spent most of the mission sulking."

Ino responded immediately in a haughty tone, "Sasuke-kun doesn't sulk. He is far too mature to waste his time with such petty emotions."

With a careless shrug, Naruto responded, "Whether you want to believe it or not doesn't change the facts. First, he was bent out of shape because I knew the tree climbing exercise before him. Then it became even worse when Haku here kicked his ass." At this last part, Naruto glanced warily at the girl in question, realizing only after the fact that discussions of that fight and what followed would be unpleasant for her.

While the blonde shinobi should have predicted Ino's response, he wasn't prepared for its volume. "WHAT? Why was she fighting Sasuke-kun? Was he hurt? What happened?"

Deciding to keep his description light and vague, Naruto responded to Ino's exclamation, "Don't worry about your 'Sasuke-kun'. Haku was traveling with the missing nin that we ran into during our mission. While she did kick his ass, she only disabled Sasuke-teme. The only lasting injury he suffered seems to have been to his pride. And I don't think he is too broken up about it, because he finally awakened his precious Sharingan."

It had been both amusing and disturbing for Naruto to observe Sasuke's obvious relief that his bloodline had finally manifested. The shinobi's feelings on the matter weren't that difficult to gather from all of the teme's insane muttering about destiny and revenge during his recovery and the trip back to Konoha. He had also taken to activating his bloodline whenever he thought no one was paying attention.

Ino, apparently having lost control of her mouth once she heard that Sasuke had been attacked, turned towards Haku suspiciously and began to babble. "But what if she decides to attack him again? Maybe she is just biding her time to strike. We shouldn't allow her in the village to…"

As Ino continued to speak, her words began to stir uncomfortable memories for Naruto. He had heard many of the same things being muttered by countless villagers and shinobi throughout his childhood. That he was a danger to the village… that he shouldn't be trusted. Although the accusations did not make any sense to him at the time, that did not stop them from wounding him. Naruto glanced over at Haku, whose uneasy continence at the story had slipped into a mask of cool indifference.

Although he wasn't always the most thoughtful of people, he realized that one of the reasons she had agreed to come to Konoha was to be near him. The world she had known had been torn away from her at Wave and she had attached herself to him… When you are truly alone, you tend to cling to the first person to take away the pain inherent in your loneliness. It happened to him during his childhood and he imagined that something similar had occurred with his new friend. Knowing this, Naruto felt somewhat responsible for the girl. He also, somewhat selfishly, took some comfort from the fact he felt needed.

He attempted to call Ino's name a few times to get her attention, but she seemed intent on continuing her rant. After a couple of moments, Naruto had heard to enough.

"Yamanaka!!!" Ino simply gaped, shocked into silence by Naruto's use of her family name. To her knowledge, he had never done that, even when they had been at the academy. Her eyes shifted to Naruto in an instant, and what she found there took her aback. His face was set in a grim, almost angry expression that further stilled her tongue. But his eyes were the most telling shift. They seemed to have hardened, almost as if a veil had been pulled across their normally cheerful visage.

Naruto, unwilling to let the blonde kunoichi start ranting again now that he had her attention, continued speaking, "You need to calm down or you should leave until you can. Despite whatever took place on the mission, Haku is simply looking for a place to call home and an opportunity to be happy. Your 'Sasuke-kun' is in no danger."

Seeing that he blonde girl was listening, Naruto continued, "Haku has been interviewed by the ANBU and the Hokage himself. He decided to trust Haku and allowed her to join the village. He didn't make this decision lightly. If you have a problem with her then you can take it up with the Hokage." He continued quietly, but with a hint of steel in his voice that caused Ino's eyes to widen further. "But I can assure you that he doesn't respond well to baseless fears and unfounded accusations."

Hinata watched in stunned silence as Ino deflated further under Naruto's harsh tone. Whatever questions she may have had herself, she knew that the Hokage was not a fool and would never willingly put the village in danger. The awkward situation was uneasily resolved when Hinata asked if Naruto was ready to begin sparring. With a glance at both Haku and Ino, Naruto rose to his feet to follow the Hyuuga heiress.

It was several minutes before the uneasy silence between the remaining girls was broken. Ino, deciding to be a bit more civil after Naruto's rebuke, asked politely, "So, you are a ninja?"

Haku answered the question simply, maintaining a tone of distant civility. "Yes."

"What rank are you?"

Deciding to be cordial, despite their rocky beginning, Haku responded evenly, "I have never been officially tested, but I would place myself at either an Upper Chuunin or Low Jounin in overall skill. I will find out officially in a couple of days when the Hokage has finished arranging a skills test."

Ino was suspicious of the girl's claim, but did not openly question her assertion. If the Hokage was going to set up a test, then the truth would be revealed. A somewhat egoistical question worked its way into the blonde kunoichi's mind. "If you were able to defeat Sasuke-kun, then how did you end up here? Were you captured by Kakashi-san?"

The girl's response was quite direct, if unexpected. "No. Naruto is the one that defeated me."

Ino was shocked for a second before an inelegant snort escaped her. "Well, if that is the case then it must have been some sort of fluke that you beat Sasuke-kun."

Haku simply reacted to the statement by looking at her coldly before returning her attention to the sparing match. After a moment, Haku responded, "Believe what you want, but I would not make the mistake of underestimating Naruto. You clearly do not give him enough credit and there is far more to him than meets the eye. Anyone who commands the respect of a Kage is not someone to dismiss out of hand."

An awkward silence settled over the pair as they continued to observe the sparing match between Naruto and Hinata. The response sent the young Yamanaka's thoughts swirling. 'Commands the respect of a Kage? What does she mean by that?'

After about fifteen minutes, Hinata walked over to the two and sat down. She was out of breath and sat down with far less grace than Ino was accustomed to seeing in the girl. Hinata, reflecting on the match that she had just completed, offered a bit breathlessly, "While I am improving, I am still unable to match Naruto-kun's stamina."

Ino, still troubled by her limited conversation with Haku, wordlessly rose to spare with the now grinning Naruto.

The two dark haired kunoichi watched silently as the match got under way. Hinata noticed that Ino seemed to have been distracted by something at first, but whatever had been occupying her thoughts was pushed aside when Naruto knocked her to the ground for the second time in a minute.

Looking over at her fellow observer, Hinata inquired, "S… So Haku-san, what do you think of Konoha so far?"

"It seems to be very pleasant. I am still learning my way around, but everything I have learned so far leads me to believe I will be able to find a good life here."

The slightly stilted conversation continued along the same line for several minutes before Haku decided to voice a question. "If you do not mind me saying so, you seem much more open to my presence than Ino-san. Why is that?"

Hinata began to fidget, playing with her forefingers as she composed her reply. "I trust N… Naruto-kun. He is a good person… If he is willing to trust you and give you a chance, then I can do no less."

Haku observed the quiet girl for a moment before nodding slightly in reply. "Trust is an admirable quality." Haku observed that Hinata colored at this remark, before turning to resume her observation the sparring match.

XXXXX

Haku and Naruto were making their way back to the apartment building in a companionable silence when Naruto decided to break it. "I am sorry about earlier. Ino-chan is usually okay to be around, but she can be a bit… troublesome when it comes to Sasuke-teme."

After a moment of thought, Haku responded, "You have nothing to apologize for. She is her own person and is responsible for her own actions." Naruto, while agreeing with the sentiment, still felt bad that Ino had reacted in such a way.

Haku broke the silence by attempting to satisfy a bit of her curiosity. "So… How did the three of you become friends?"

Shaken from his thoughts, Naruto looked towards the girl only to find a mask of cool interest. "What do you mean?"

"Ino-san and Hinata-san… The two girls seem to be at different ends of the spectrum. With you being fairly unique yourself, you have to admit that the three of you make an odd group."

Naruto shrugged, never having looked at them as a group before. "Yeah, I guess we do. But it just works, I guess. We were all in the same class at the Academy, but we really didn't start training together until a couple of weeks after graduation. If it wasn't for them..." he paused, looking for the right words, "I probably wouldn't have any friends at all." Haku looked up at him, only to see that he meant what he said, or at least he truly believed it.

XXXXX

Naruto quickly assimilated back into his daily routine, though there were some significant changes. The Hokage had informed him that his training sessions with Gai-sensei and Lee were probably going to become the exception rather than the rule due to Team Gai's rapid succession of higher ranked missions.

Despite their absence, the blonde shinobi decided to persist in his rather exhaustive physical training routine. It was a foregone conclusion that he couldn't slacken off simply because they weren't there. After all, if he didn't keep up with his training, he would fall even further behind green pair the next time they sparred together.

And so the blonde shinobi resumed his habit of waking before dawn to begin his exercises. Remarkably, on the third day, he found Haku waiting for him as he left his apartment. While he readily accepted her offer to work out together, he quickly found that Haku was a totally different person when it came to training. Where she was normally fairly soft spoken and passive, she became far more assertive when dealing with the shinobi arts. A memory of their second day together immediately came to mind.

"Well, your chakra control is horrible, your physical balance and flexibility are abysmal, you are weak in general field craft, your strategies are unimaginative…" Observing, how Naruto was accepting her criticism, Haku concluded her summary with, "and you pout like a little girl."

Naruto's eyes had snapped towards her in a comical fashion as he attempted to respond. "Oh yeah!?!? Well… you… you are a girl!!!"

Haku canted her head to the side and as a small smirk appeared on her face. "Well spotted. Given your general observation skills, I was afraid that I would have to drop my kimono for you to notice."

That had been the other shock… 'Training Haku', as Naruto had taken to calling this aspect of her personality, seemed to enjoy dropping some fairly blatant innuendo at strange times. In this case, Naruto had been left sputtering something incomprehensible while Haku had darted forward and landed a sharp jab into his stomach. Despite having been hit harder by Lee during their matches, the blow had been sufficient to nearly buckle Naruto's knees as the wind was knocked out of him.

He had looked up at the girl from a slightly hunched position only to find her calmly looking back. "Yes, I am a girl… But that fact doesn't change anything that I said and it won't stop me from hurting you if you don't put forth your best efforts when we train together. Despite being a girl, I am not fragile and I will not appreciate it if you treat me any different than you would any other sparing partner. Is that understood?"

The abrupt comments and the innuendo had literally thrown the young shinobi for a mental loop. It was almost inconceivable to the young shinobi that the gentle girl from the forest and the harsh taskmaster before him were the same person. 'I guess she really was raised by Zabuza…'

After the blonde shinobi managed a silent nod in response, Haku had continued, "Good. Can I assume that such comments can be controlled in the future?" Naruto had given the smiling girl another wary nod before he had straightened.

The second shift in his routine was that the Hokage began to send a Kage Bunshin to oversee his studies in the library. Their conversation upon Naruto's return from Wave had highlighted to the elder ninja that, despite Naruto's progress since his graduation, there were still gaps in the young man's education. The strategic use of Kage Bunshin by both parties and the boy's natural determination allowed Sarutobi to correct the intellectual harm inflicted upon the young shinobi by the academy instructors.

Sarutobi was also determined to address topics that were integral for a future clan head. It was bad enough for a clan head to be denied a basic knowledge of the politics and intrigue, but for the last surviving member of a powerful clan like the Kazamas it was unthinkable.

The elderly Hokage structured these lessons like a classroom and began to push his student in a variety of ways, starting with improving Naruto's grammar, vocabulary, and writing. These lessons also included lessons in advanced mathematics. The fact that some of these lessons began to evolve into the basis of the Chuunin Examination's written test was purely… coincidental.

The most difficult lesson Naruto had to learn had nothing to do with knowledge and everything to do with patience. Calligraphy, with its delicate brush strokes that were so very different then a pen or pencil, was proving to be far more difficult than Naruto could have imagined. Not only was he required to learn a large number of new kanji, but he also had to do so while trying to keep from dripping ink all over the place and smudging it with his fingers.

The examples provided by the Hokage were perfect as far as he could tell. The brush strokes were calm and even, flowing into flawless, almost beautiful symbols. The speed with which the old man could write was also breathtaking. Symbol after symbol appeared on the paper with brush strokes that appeared to dance across the paper's surface. It was a bit humbling to struggle as he did after watching the old man in action.

These sessions frustrated the Naruto Bunshins a great deal, but their complaints were silenced when the Hokage pointed out that this skill was the basis for several others, including the production of explosive tags and other forms of sealing.

The Hokage also undertook to polish some of the other topics covered at the Academy. There is much to be said for learning shinobi history from a man who had played a part in many of the events in question. Or having the basics of chakra theory and jutsu explained by the God of Shinobi.

Despite his frustration, Naruto improved at a remarkable rate under the Hokage's guidance. This caused Sarutobi to wonder what might have been had the boy been given a fair chance at the Academy.

The final change came when the blonde shinobi decided to devote some of the Kage Bunshins to hobbies and relaxation. Oddly enough, Naruto found his most relaxing activity in a fairly odd place: playing with younger children. Shortly after his return, he ran into Konohamaru and two other kids that had formed 'The Konohamaru Corps'. The three had begged him to play ninja with them and he had eventually buckled under the pressure of Moegi-chan's enormous puppy dog eyes.

Despite everything, Naruto found himself actually enjoying the games they played whenever they met. Some of them tended to be childish while others were thinly disguised training. In the end, these sessions provided a welcome counterpoint to the hundreds of training hours Naruto absorbed on a weekly basis.

XXXXX

Hyuuga Hiashi had always been a very restrained individual. This aspect of his personality had been drummed into him from an early age by his tutors. And these lessons had been reinforced throughout his adult life, as he was constantly called upon to counteract the manipulations of an over reaching council of elders.

Despite his typical restraint, Hiashi was impressed and pleased with the progress he had observed in his eldest daughter. There was little doubt in his mind that the 'Uzumaki' boy was the driving force behind Hinata's progress. It had been an experience to watch the previously shy and timid girl become much more settled over the past month or so. While she would probably never be assertive, her newfound courage and reluctance to be pushed around had translated in a startling result. The result was that Hinata had completely decimated Hanabi in their most recent sparing match.

While this result should have been a forgone conclusion as the older girl's longer reach and greater experience was in her favor; it had not taken place for a couple of years. That Hinata's advantages would inevitably be overcome by the younger girl's natural aggression and innate skill had been a foregone conclusion… until today.

The match had been interesting as Hanabi's self assured yet textbook attacks had been met by Hinata's confident reprisals. That the older girl's attacks contained some unorthodox adaptations of the clan's style did not go unnoticed by the clan head.

His younger daughter had been completely thrown off balance by these adaptations and Hinata's uncharacteristic aggression. Shaking his head, Hiashi reflected, 'Hanabi had obviously become accustomed to Hinata's half-hearted attempts at sparing and that lax approach to the fight cost her a great deal.'

The girl's discomfort at her defeat could not have been any clearer. Shock, anger, and embarrassment had warred with her natural stoicism as she was reduced to crawling into a kneeling position before him to recount in detail why she had lost. That lesson in humility would probably end up being of greater value than the sparing match itself. 'Confidence is something to strive for and cherish, but arrogance can bring about recklessness and disaster.'

His eldest child was also called forth to give an account of the match. When Hiashi had directly questioned Hinata about the shift in her approach to sparring, she given an apologetic glance towards her sister before stating that someone had pointed out to her that it was better to harm a person you cared about in a friendly sparring match than to allow them to be overconfident in a dangerous situation.

Hiashi could not imagine being more please with the girl's progress. While he had subtly encouraged Hinata to associate with 'Uzumaki' boy for his own reasons, the boy's influence was producing some unexpected results. As harsh as he could be towards his eldest daughter, he truly wanted for her to be happy. Seeing her new attitude also stirred several fond, but nearly forgotten, memories of his beloved wife.

XXXXX

Yamanaka Ino had always been, for the most part, very comfortable with herself. While she did not believe in destiny, per se, she did believe that individuals were given certain gifts and opportunities that made some paths easier to follow.

Her path had been laid out before she was born and she had never looked back. Faith in her goal had been instilled by the knowledge that she came from a long and distinguished line of ninja. Faith in her appearance had been secured through the knowledge that genetics would ensure that she would grow into an attractive young woman. Faith in herself had been instilled by that knowledge that her parents loved and would always support her. These truths provided the young kunoichi with a natural confidence and an innate belief in herself.

And yet, despite her self-assurance, she found herself looking at her friends and, indirectly, herself in a new light. 'These girls are my peers.' Since she had joined the academy, they had been the center of her social life and had formed the social circle to which she had belonged. Her ranking in the class and her connections with other shinobi clans had gone a long way towards granting her a certain authority among her peers.

She had recently become disconnected with her social peers and she was not sure how to handle this. This realization had come about in a fairly mundane way. They had congregated at one of the local cafes, enjoying some tea and a selection of low fat snacks. It had been their practice to have these excursions every so often, but Ino had missed the last couple due to training and her responsibilities at her family's flower shop.

One thing had become perfectly clear as the afternoon progressed… these girls… these academy students studying to be Konoha kunoichi, cared little for the realities of being a ninja.

It had been a rather startling revelation. They cared little for the missions that had become a central part of her life. They cared little for the intense training that she had undergone or the new techniques she had learned. If anything, they seemed a bit disgusted when she had described the training regimen she now adhered to. Objectively, she knew that most kunoichi valued their free time, but how did they expect to improve if they didn't train?

The most startling thing of all was that most of the attention they had paid to Sasuke seemed to have shifted to the heir of the Akado Clan, who had been a class below them at the academy. They had spent quite a bit of time describing how handsome he was and how he was likely to be the top rookie in his class. 'Are they really that fickle?' This thought caused her to realize that, despite protestation of undying love, she had barely caught a glimpse of her supposed love interest since graduation. 'Am I?'

The conversations with Hinata during their mission had also brought up troubling thoughts about her interactions with Sasuke-kun. Did she really know anything about him? Could she bring herself to walk away from him if it meant his happiness?

"Mom," Ino began, looking up from her tea to focus on her mother, who was preparing dinner. "Am I shallow?"

Honshu gave her only child a searching look for a moment, curious about where this question had come from. Her daughter had been unusually quiet all afternoon, having had lunch with her friends earlier. After weighing her answer carefully, the elder Yamanaka responded, "Everyone has had some shallow and selfish moments. It is human nature. But I don't think that I could call you shallow because of it…" She paused in her response before inquiring, "What brought this up?"

Ino nodded slowly, turning over what her mother had said. She then repeated her thoughts about her meeting with her academy friends and parts of her conversation with Hinata. Honshu listened carefully as he daughter recounted her social crisis while she continued to prepare their evening meal.

Honshu took a few moments to collect her thoughts before responding. "I would say that many of your attitudes, like your fixation with appearance and popular opinion, while shallow, are fairly common for teenagers."

Glancing over at her daughter's crestfallen face, Honshu continued, "But the important part of this discussion is that you are beginning to question some of your previous actions and goals. In other words, you are growing up… Age and life experience gives you a certain amount of perspective and you will eventually realize how silly some of the things you cared about when you were younger were."

"As to boys and everything they entail, I would like to offer you two possibilities. Would you rather be envied or happy?" Seeing her daughter's face, Honshu continued, "Just hear me out before you call it a stupid question."

"Imagine that there are two boys… One of them is quite popular because he is rich and handsome. All of your friends are in love with the boy and you fall into the same trap. Some time later you catch his attention and are able to show off your prince charming to all of your jealous friends. But what if that is all that he is? What if he didn't pay attention to you outside of what was absolutely required? Or if he was cruel to you outside of the public eye? While rather trite, it is true that beauty is sometimes only skin deep."

"What if there was another boy? One that was not as popular, but was far more grounded… One that shared some of your interests and honestly cared about your opinion… One that would take care of you when you are sick and would cheer you up when you are sad… One that would remember your birthday and do all in his power to ensure your happiness?"

Hearing her husband descending from upstairs, Honshu approached her daughter and bent down to whisper in her ear as she brushed her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Your father is a handsome man from a well established clan. But, even after all these years, I always remember him as the sweet, nervous boy that used to hang around the flower shop."

Ino watched thoughtfully as her mother returned to the stove. Only a few seconds passed before her father entered the kitchen, approaching his apparently oblivious wife. He wrapped his arms around her as he looked over her shoulder to watch her work. He then nuzzled her mother's hair before whispering something in her ear. Her mother laughed a bit throatily as he nipped her neck before she whispered, "Not in front of Ino…"

Despite the slight nausea she felt at what that last phrase implied, the young Yamanaka couldn't help the slight longing she felt for that type of relationship her parents shared. And despite a certain amount of self-delusion, she couldn't picture Sasuke in the role of an attentive and playful husband.

XXXXX

Later that evening, Honshu smiled smugly as she climbed into bed to join her husband, who was reading a scroll related to his position with the council. Closing it, he looked over at his wife and gave her a quizzical look. "Not that I mind or anything, but why are you in such a good mood?"

Honshu's smile broadened as she looked over them at him. "Ino came to me earlier and we had some girl talk."

Inoichi paused for a minute as he reasoned out his response. On one hand he was interested in his daughter's well being… she had become the center of his world in many ways, especially after the Yamanakas had learned that another pregnancy would be very difficult on Honshu's body due to some complications.

On the other hand, there are just some things that a father is just better off not knowing about his teenaged daughter. Observing his wife's mood in a slightly different light, Inoichi decided to take the plunge and asked, "Girl talk?"

Smirking at the obvious trepidation in her husband's voice, Honshu continued, "Girl talk. I think our little Ino is finally growing up and beginning to see the light with regard to the Uchiha boy."

"Good." Inoichi said, setting the scroll aside as he prepared to shut off the light. "Kami knows that the boy is another massacre waiting to happen."

A contented smile settled on her face as Honshu nodded in agreement. "Of course, I wouldn't give up on the idea of grandchildren just yet."

Inoichi seemed to choke on nothing as he turned to look over at his wife with a wide-eyed expression. "Please don't tell me…" His entreatment was cut off by his wife's musical laughter.

Honshu smiled happily as she adjusted her position to lie against her husband. "Sometimes you are just too easy." Glancing up, she couldn't miss the petulant scowl that had settled on his features. "Oh come on, it was just a joke. But it is inevitable that there will be another boy and another crush. You should simply be glad that she opened her eyes to other possibilities."

Inoichi nodded grudgingly. "That is true. But it sounds like you have an idea…"

Honshu smiled mysteriously. "She hasn't said anything, but… who knows what the future may hold?"

XXXXX

Naruto and Haku sat facing each other in the pale light of the early morning. Naruto's eyes were closed; his face a mask of concentration while Haku's reflected only serenity. The two ninja had assumed the lotus position in the middle of the training field, sitting close enough for their knees to touch.

"Naruto, focus on your breathing. You need to relax if you are to gain anything from this exercise."

Naruto's eyes flickered open at the comment. This exercise was supposed to strengthen his ability to sense his environment, but Naruto's progress had been uneven at best.

Haku really was the picture of serenity in the early morning light. The pink radiance of the dawn highlighted her complexion with a very flattering glow. A soft smile appeared on the young shinobi's face as he watched the girl silently mediate. It wasn't long before her deep steady breathing caught Naruto's attention and his eyes fell to watch the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Naruto…" The verbal prompt caused him to realize what he was doing. He could feel himself flushing as he quickly closed eyes and tried to clear his thoughts. The dark haired kunoichi would undoubtedly use him as a pincushion if she caught him staring at her when he should have been mediating.

Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing, the blonde shinobi focused on the murmured instructions of his partner. "Calm your mind and focus on your breathing… remember to relax and observe what you are feeling around you."

After a bit, Naruto found his awareness of the clearing flickering for a long moment before the sensation slipped away. His irritation flared a bit before he reined himself in and focused on relaxing. The tension in his muscles began to dissipate once again as his breathing resumed a steady pattern.

"Awareness is the first step… Once you are aware of your surroundings, you are able to focus on disturbances in the natural chakra that surrounds us. This sense is second nature to high level shinobi and is the reason they are able to move beyond the perception of others."

Overall, this new awareness was an odd experience. The easiest thing to compare it to would be standing alone in absolute darkness. Occasional flickers of light, such at those from a match or a weak candle, would provide irregular and vague glimpses of the world around him. But, so far as Naruto could tell, these glimpses never provided a clear picture of the world and seemed to contradict his other senses at times.

Naruto drew in a breath, feeling his awareness flicker once again. Focusing these new sensations was far more difficult than he had ever imagined. It didn't help that his progress was this slow despite having devoted a number of Kage Bunshins to this exercise over the past couple of days. Haku had told him that this awareness would come as naturally as breathing for him… with practice.

XXXXX

The perpetually late instructor of Team Seven watched his charges with an attentive eye. Naruto was off to one side of the clearing, balancing himself on one hand. The look of absent concentration on his face appeared to indicate that he was combining a balancing exercise with some form of meditation. 'Likely working on his chakra awareness…'

Across the clearing, Sasuke was training, somewhat unsuccessfully with a shuriken/ninja wire combination. Knowing the boy's obsession with fire jutsu, Kakashi surmised that he was working on the most basic level of Katon: Karyuu Endan. A muffled curse from the boy as he glared at the tangle of wires indicated that his mood was less than sunny. Of course, that wasn't exactly surprising as Sasuke's usual moods consisted of grumpy, grouchy, sulky, and irritable.

Sakura was hovering a short distance away from the dark haired shinobi, offering some sort of banal encouragement to the disgruntled Uchiha. She was apparently unaware that object of her attention appeared to be rather contemptuous of both her commiserations and affection.

'Sakura…' The jounin instructor sighed before returning his attention to his ever-present book. He honestly wasn't sure how to get through to the girl. While at the academy, Sakura had been the highly ranked kunoichi. Her intelligence and memorization skills had allowed her to excel in the academic aspects of the curriculum while adequately completing the program's physical requirements.

Her skills and mindset had allowed her to take to the academy's structured learning environment like a fish to water. But the ninja world was anything but structured. And, despite her intelligence, she didn't seem to realize that having memorized the shinobi rules or the history of Fire Country was not going to help her survive and prosper in the field. While the girl's extraordinary chakra control probably exceeded his own, it was only one positive among a long list of shortcomings. 'Pathetic conditioning, non-existent stamina, laughable chakra reserves…'

She was obviously aware of these shortcomings, but she made no move to address them. She ate little to no food, more concerned about her figure than her health. She avoided training during team meetings, probably afraid of sweating in front of her crush or developing 'unsightly' muscles.

'She doesn't seem to realize that training translates directly into whether you live or die in the field.' Her reluctance to train properly had been grossly evident during their mission to Wave. And if he didn't address this issue of hers, it would eventually endanger her life and those of her teammates.

Kakashi reflected absently on how he could ensure she learned this lesson before it was too late. 'Perhaps a bit of embarrassment will do the trick?'

Having concluded how he was going to address this issue, Kakashi teleported into the clearing. Having become aware of his presence, Team Seven quickly assembled for their customary walk to the tower.

Instead of greeting his genin with his usual excuses, Kakashi closed his book, putting away his usual distraction as he inquired, "Sakura, have you mastered the tree climbing exercise that I showed you while in Wave? And by master, I mean are you able to run up and down a tree ten times consecutively. "

Taken aback by the Kakashi's unusual behavior and the rather direct question, Sakura immediately answered, "No, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi canted his head to the side in consideration and asked, "Have you been practicing the exercise?" This time the young kunoichi did not respond verbally, instead shaking her head in the negative.

Continuing in the same tone as before, Kakashi inquired, "Is there a reason that you have not been practicing?" This time there was no response, verbal or otherwise, from the young girl as she settled for looking at the ground. Kakashi suppressed a heavy sigh as he thought, 'I didn't retire from the ANBU just to deal with fan girls.'

The masked jounin noticed that the girl was blushing in embarrassment for having been called to task in front of her teammates. Kakashi was of two minds about this. On one hand, he felt sorry for the girl. It was never easy to have your shortcomings pointed out to you, and it was even harder to have an audience for such an experience.

On the other hand, Kakashi was approaching his wit's end. The girl had simply ignored or not responded to gentle suggestions or even pointed advice. Perhaps shame will succeed where words had failed.

Resisting the urge to run his hand through is hair in frustration, the jounin continued with his plan. "Could you please describe the physical parts of your training regimen, both during team meetings and during your personal time?"

"…"

Having expected such a response, Kakashi continued, "Do you think that you are being fair to your teammates by not training?"

The girl colored noticeably as she shuffled her feet, glancing over at her teammates, or, more specifically, at Sasuke.

"Perhaps a short demonstration is in order…" Glancing up at the other two members of his team, Kakashi weighed his options. Both team members would defeat Sakura handily, but he wanted Sakura to realize exactly how wide the gulf between her and her teammates had become. Sakura would think nothing of being defeated by Sasuke, having concluded in her mind that he is far stronger than his peers. 'But Naruto is a completely different matter… and it will demonstrate my point fairly well.'

"Naruto, would you please come here for a moment?"

Naruto silently approached the jounin, who gestured for the boy to turn towards the other members of Team Seven. Placing a hand on the blonde shinobi's shoulder, Kakashi returned his attention to Sakura. "Sakura, would it be fair to say that you scored better than Naruto here in taijutsu at the academy?"

After receiving a tentative nod from the young kunoichi, Kakashi smiled beneath his mask as he offered, "Excellent. Then I suggest a simple taijutsu sparring match… Sakura against Naruto."

After frowning at the shuffling girl, Naruto stated quietly, "Ano… Kakashi-sensei, I don't think this is a good idea. I don't want to hurt her." The jounin was satisfied to see Sakura respond to Naruto's comment by glaring at him. 'Perhaps her pride could also goad her into training…'

Glancing down at the hesitant genin, Kakashi responded, "Don't worry about it. Your role will be limited. I don't want you to fight back at first. Just dodge and evade her attacks until I say otherwise."

The two genin moved towards the center of the training ground, having accepted their roles in the impromptu sparing match. A signal from Kakashi sent the genin into action. Sakura advanced with a purpose, obviously intent on expelling her suppressed frustration with the previous conversation.

It only took about thirty seconds for Sakura's determination to degenerate into a breathless frustration as she failed to land a single hit on the blonde shinobi. It was almost sad to see Naruto dance around the enraged kunoichi's wild attacks.

Glancing off to the side, the jounin found Sasuke watching the sparring match with an expression of both open distain and bored indifference. Slightly irritated at the boy's detachment, Kakashi returned his attention to the fight and called out, "Naruto, stop dodging. You are free to block her attacks, but do not retaliate."

A smirk appeared upon Sakura's face at having Naruto act as a sitting duck. This smile quickly vanished as she once again failed to land a significant hit on her blonde opponent. Naruto easily blocked or deflected all the girl's attacks with practiced ease. That fact that even her most powerful kicks barely rocked the blonde genin from his stance only served to further enrage the pink haired kunoichi.

Having allowed Sakura sufficient time to absorb this part of the lesson, Kakashi called out, "Fight back Naruto."

Naruto seemed to hesitate until Kakashi snapped, "Do it!!!" Barely a second later, Naruto brought Sakura to her knees with a single blow; a punch that glided through her defenses and buried itself in her stomach. The young kunoichi collapsed gracelessly to the ground, attempting suck in air that simply wasn't there. The blow must have been more painful than it appeared as she began to sob a bit pitifully through her strangled gasps.

Taking pity on the girl, Kakashi instructed the two boys to meet them at the Tower as he approached the prone girl. The jounin waited a moment to ensure that the other members of Team Seven had departed before he offered, "Sakura…"

The girl ignored him, seeming intent on reining in her erratic breathing. "Sakura, I am not doing this to hurt or belittle you. But you need to realize that this is a dangerous profession. Your reluctance to train is going to catch up with you…"

Kakashi's voice took on a far more gentle tone. "Sakura, please look at me." The pink haired girl looked towards the jounin with a wary, tear streaked expression. "Terrible things can happen to kunoichi that refuse to take this profession seriously. In many ways, the dangers that kunoichis face are more frightening than those of their male counterparts. You need to realize that an enemy wouldn't have held back as Naruto did during your match. And the consequences of being incapacitated before a real enemy can be far more permanent and devastating than being punched in the stomach."

Kakashi allowed his warning to sink in for a moment before he knelt beside the girl, looking the young kunoichi in the eye as he delivered an ultimatum. "If you don't begin to take this job seriously, I will have no other choice but to remove you from the team." Giving the girl's shoulder a comforting squeeze, Kakashi rose and walked a short distance away, pulling out his book as he allowed Sakura a couple of minutes to organize her thoughts. Eventually Kakashi called out, "Come on, Sakura… We need to get our mission for the day."

XXXXX

In the days that followed her arrival in Konoha, Haku observed a number of odd instances with regard to Naruto. As they would walk down the street together, other pedestrians would sneer at him or go out of their way to ignore him. Mothers with small children would actually cross the street avoid his presence.

Those few times that they had entered a business, Naruto had transformed into an older, but otherwise unremarkable boy. 'While I do not understand the cause, these instances simply confirm the Hokage's words that Naruto is treated poorly by the villagers. Perhaps he truly does understand how it feels to be hated and despised for something beyond his control.'

The only place in the city that his presence was openly welcomed was Ichiraku's Ramen. The proprietor and his daughter would cheerfully welcome him to the shop, ask him how his day was going, and exchange other pleasantries with blonde shinobi. The owner even teased Naruto lightly about being some sort of lady's man for having brought yet another girl by the stand to eat ramen. Haku couldn't help but smile as she recalled his blushing denials of having a relationship with any of the girls.

They were actually returning to their apartment building from said restaurant when a bit of chaos appeared in the running forms of three small children. Their laughter seemed in stark contrast to the dour and hurried expressions that most of the pedestrians were wearing. Of course, the dark gray clouds that roiled ominously overhead may have had something to do with these expressions.

Despite the impending storm, two boys, no older than five, appeared dodging through the pedestrians as a girl of three or so years gave chase. The two boys darted past the two ninja, while the young girl tripped over the uneven pavement and fell to the ground. The girl's unexpectedly loud cry brought many of the surrounding villagers to a halt.

Naruto knelt beside the small girl, who was now sitting up and examining her knee through tear blinded eyes. "Hey, now there is no need to cry. It is just a little scratch." The girl's crying began to trail off when she looked up into Naruto's smiling face. He reached down wiped away her tears with his thumb before looking at the girl's knee. The scrape was superficial, but bleeding quite a bit all the same.

"That's better…" Naruto, glancing up from the little girl, asked, "Haku, could you take care of this?"

The kunoichi couldn't help but marvel at the kindness of ninja kneeling before her. The thought that he would be a great father some day flashed through her mind before she pushed it aside. A quick series of hand seals later, the little girl's scrapped knee was as good as new.

The girl, who was sniffling a moment ago, looked towards Haku with unbridled wondered. The kunoichi was certain that a barrage of questions was about to be leveled at her when a panicked screech erupted from behind the small crowd that had stopped to watch the incident. "Stay away from her you monster!!!"

Naruto froze for a moment, tension obvious in his stooped posture. A long second passed before, seeming to ignore the comment, he picked the girl up and placed her on her feet once again as he rose from his crouched position. The small, comforting smile he had been wearing while talking to the little girl fell away only to be replaced by a full blown grin as he glanced towards the woman in the crowd.

To Haku, this new expression was so obviously false that it was almost painful to observe. The smile did not fade in the least when he simply stated, "You should be a bit more careful… Such words can be dangerous."

Not a moment later and without explanation, Naruto leapt with ease to the roof of a nearby building and disappeared. The dark gray clouds, which had been threatening rain all day, choose that moment to let loose. Large raindrops began to fall from the sky, quickly soaking the village and dispersing the gathered crowd. Haku watched with detached eyes as the visibly stricken mother snapped out of her trance and hurriedly gathered up the small girl in her arms and quickly disappeared from view.

Glancing around the now vacant street, Haku could only marvel at the surreal nature of the scene she had just witnessed. Shaking her head slightly, the young kunoichi was left to reflect that it had only been a few moments since Naruto had been walking beside her without a care in the world.

The cool rain beat against her exposed skin as she leapt towards the rooftop in pursuit of Naruto. Having some idea of how his mind worked, Haku simply followed a straight-line path out of the village proper and towards the various training grounds and open areas that insulated the village from the encircling wall.

Haku touched down silently on the sodden ground. She was only a short distance away from a recent disturbance in the muddy area that marked the border of the training grounds. Satisfied that she was on the right track, the dark haired kunoichi brushed some sodden strands of her hair away from her face as she entered the forest.

While the canopy overhead provided some protection from the rain, the occasional flash of lightning bathed the woods in ominous shadows. The answering crashes of thunder rolling across the landscape served as a counter point to the kunoichi's silent trek.

It was only another minute or so before the downpour seemed to pass, but only to be replaced by a steady drizzle. The crash of a falling tree alerted the kunoichi that she was on the right track. It was only another moment before she found a stooped silhouette staring into the river a short distance away.

The stark contrast of how his appearance and mood had shifted in such a short time caused the young kunoichi to reflect that many of her observations of and about Naruto didn't add up.

Uzumaki Naruto was one of the most energetic people she had ever met. His vibrant personality and seemingly endless energy lent itself to an open and cheerful personality. His accepting nature was supported by ludicrous chakra reserves, other worldly stamina, and an unnatural passion for training.

In most ninja villages, a person like him would be considered a genius, a treasure to be trained into a powerful ninja. Konoha, who is purported to value friendship, teamwork, and coordination above most other virtues, should have made this doubly true.

It was widely accepted that Konoha tended to foster geniuses in disproportionate numbers and had a long history of exceptional shinobi. The Senju Clan built the village on the prowess of the Shodaime and the Nidaime… The God of Shinobi continued their legacy by leading the village through both the second and third shinobi wars and training the Sannin… One these legendary ninja went on to train the Yondaime Hokage… the single most feared ninja to ever walk the continent.

Outside of the Hokages, the Hatake Clan had produced both the disgraced Sakumo and the Copy-nin. The Uchiha Clan had been both feared and admired for their bloodline. The Hyuuga, the Inuzuka, and the Aburame Clans had each produced some of the finest hunter nins ever known.

The village obviously respected martial strength… So why would Naruto, a ninja with such obvious gifts and potential, be treated so poorly? How could someone like him, someone with so much potential understand the pain of being forgotten and unwanted? Any other village would ecstatic to have a person like Naruto within their ranks, and yet, Konoha openly distained his presence.

This distain revealed itself in both subtle and overt ways. For one, Naruto's training had not been adequate in any way, shape, or form. 'And it isn't just his incredible ignorance about things that should be second nature to a shinobi…'

A far subtler hint came from what his hidden brilliance revealed about his past. For instance, the boy's stealth and evasion techniques were almost supernatural. Further, while he had yet to perfect the chakra detection exercise, he seemed to have almost instinctual control over his own chakra aura. Such natural control would only develop through experience… experience that involved being hunted repeatedly by highly skilled ninja. These skills were accompanied by a tolerance for pain the both impressed and saddened her.

'Despite all of his gifts, he is despised by villagers that practically fall all over themselves to fawn over bloodlines and special talents.' After some thought, Haku surmised that it had something to do with the frightening power she had been exposed to on the bridge. If anything could cause such a reaction, it was unmitigated fear… but not fear of him. Their actions appeared designed to provoke him to anger, which was not the most intelligent of paths to follow when dealing with powerful ninja. And yet, the villagers apparently felt secure enough to taunt and belittle the blonde shinobi.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Haku looked over at the younger boy, finding him staring sullenly into the distance. The anger and frustration she had seen early had been washed away by the rain, which was dripping down from the bangs of his hair.

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she realized that she was already beginning to feel a strong attachment to the boy. Despite their short time together and the circumstances of their meeting, he could already be counted as her most precious person. There were a number of reasons for this assertion. He was accepting and kind. He had gone out of his way to help an enemy, a person he should have felt no obligation towards. He had stood up for her on a number of occasions, even going so far as to argue with his friend. He fought for what he believed in… and yet he understood pain.

To Haku, this last part of Naruto's personality gave her the most comfort. The shuttered hostility that he seemed to experience on a daily basis reminded her of her own experiences in many ways. She gained some modicum of comfort from his pain… and the fact that he continued to persevere despite his suffering. 'I guess misery loves company…' While Haku felt somewhat guilty immediately after the thought occurred to her, she could not deny its truth.

"I know what it is like, Naruto." Haku said quietly, shifting her gaze to the gently rippling surface of the river. Naruto seemed to emerge from his contemplative state and glanced at her in confusion. "I know how it is for people to judge you based on something beyond your control, rather than on your character or actions."

The silence that fell between them was unbroken for several moments, except for the lapping of the river. "I have a bloodline. In Konoha, these are considered a symbol of power and strength, an attribute to be proud of and admired for."

"In Mist, having a bloodline is the greatest sin that can be committed. You carry an inescapable stigma… You are deemed to be tainted and impure. You bear a horrible disease and are not even considered to be human. Those that have known you throughout your life will turn their back on you should they find out that you possess… 'unnatural abilities'."

Haku paused, her eyes taking on a haunted appearance as she stared into the distance. "My own father discovered that my mother possessed a bloodline when I was six years old. They had been married for over ten years and had known each other for many more. When my father discovered that my mother possessed the Hyoton Bloodline, he became enraged and killed my mother in cold blood. He then turned on me, his only child, wanting to purify his household…"

Haku's tone dropped to barely above a whisper. "…I managed to stop him… I did not mean to kill him, but instinct took over and my bloodline activated. I can still remember the irrational rage glowing in his eyes as he breathed his last breath."

"After that I was on my own for nearly two years before Zabuza found me and took me in. Before that time, no one had ever taken the time to look at me, let alone know me."

Naruto was stunned by her words. Her situation almost mirrored his. She really could understand what he went through, although from a slightly different perspective. His knowledge of the Mist Bloodline Conflict was limited, but her description seemed to strike a cord.

Those ninja clans that had possessed bloodline abilities had been nearly wiped out in a series of raids by factions within their own government. These clans had been made the scapegoats for the general population, as, by being the most renowned clans in battle, they must have been the cause of those battles and the strife the followed. Those individuals and families that were able to escape the purges were believed to have fled to other countries or to have gone into hiding.

He could see how no one would be willing to look past that stereotype, that she must also have been very lonely in the years following the death of her parents. It would have been a double-edged sword to meet new people. 'Do you risk allowing others to be close to you only to have them later betray you or do you endure the unceasing loneliness?'

Naruto finally looked over to her and returned her gaze, wanting her to understand how much he appreciated her sharing her story with him. "Thank you, Haku-chan." The new suffix did not go unnoticed by Haku, but she chose not to mention it.

The two sat in a companionable silence for a long while, oblivious to the continuing rain and the passage of time. Naruto turned to say something to his companion, when she placed a finger on his lips. Shocked by the familiarity of such an action, Naruto fell silent without protest.

"I shared my story with you so that you would understand how much I appreciate all that you have done for me. I am aware that you have your own secrets and, while I am more than willing to listen, I want you to share them with me only when you feel comfortable doing so."

Looking into Haku's warm brown eyes, Naruto found a number of emotions dancing within their depths: relief, happiness, and understanding. It really all came back to trust… she trusted him enough to share her pain and felt relief at having done so. The realization that he could not return her trust felt like a knife being twisted in his gut. 'I really want to tell her, but I just can't… maybe someday.'

Having apparently guessed the thoughts running through his head, Haku smiled at him. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. I understand."

Despite her soft words, Naruto could only conclude, 'I am such a coward.'

Eventually Naruto stood and offered to treat Haku to some of the red bean pastries she seemed to enjoy. If Haku was disappointed that Naruto had not shared his own burden, she did not show it as she again smiled at the boy before accepting his offer and assistance in rising from her seated position. As they made their way back towards the village, she glanced at the young man walking beside her. 'It has been so long since I have been able to call another a friend…'

XXXXX

Inoichi's comment to his wife died rather abruptly as his brow furrowed slightly at the muted crash that he had just heard from the entry way. Rising from his seat, he exited the kitchen, where he had been helping his wife prepare dinner. As only one other person would enter the house without knocking, he had a good idea who had just arrived home.

He found his daughter sprawled face down across the front entrance. He slowed his approach and canted his head to the side as he watched his only child shakily rise to all fours before the rug in the entrance slipped out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor once again.

Today's sparring session had apparently been especially vigorous, if the cuts and scrapes the covered his daughter's exposed skin were anything to go by. That she was not complaining about the injuries or her dirty and torn outfit simply indicated how much she had matured as a kunoichi since her graduation. A small smile appeared on the blonde jounin's face as a low moan escaped from the collapsed girl.

Deciding to find out about his daughter's day, Inoichi knelt a short distance from his daughter and cheerfully greeted her. "Hey, Ino."

"Hey, Dad." The simple greeting was slightly muffled by the fact that her face was pressed against the floor.

Continuing as if such meetings were an everyday occurrence, Inoichi inquired, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

His daughter shifted her head to the side so that her response could be clearly understood. "You just did, but you can ask another."

'Smart ass.' Despite the oddity of these circumstances, Inoichi couldn't help his broadening smile. "Why are you lying on the floor when we have a couch in the living room and you have a perfectly good bed upstairs?"

His daughter shifted again, causing the response he received to be somewhat muffled. "It is all Naruto's fault."

His voice betraying his amusement, Inoichi inquired, "And how is your sudden desire to sleep in our entry way Naruto's fault?"

"Because I have to kick his ass!!!" This exclamation seemed to serve as some sort of battle cry for his daughter as she clumsily struggled to her feet.

Huffing slightly the effort of standing, Ino glared meaningfully at her father as she exclaimed, "That baka has been training for months with weights and didn't even tell me. The whole time we have been sparing, he has been fighting with a handicap. Now I have to train twice as hard and show him no one makes a fool out of a Yamanaka."

Inoichi couldn't help but chuckle at his only daughter's ruffled pride as he rose from his kneeling position.

The chuckle fell away as he caught sight of the weights she was wearing. They appeared simple enough; the black metal of the weights secured by thick leather bracers. What caught his attention was that, despite their dull, worn appearance, the jounin could see the intricate symbols that were carved into their matte surface.

Trying to appear indifferent despite his peaked curiosity, Inoichi inquired, "So you are going to train with weights now? Where did you get them?"

Huffing in exasperation as her leaden arm rose to brush some wayward strands away from her face, Ino responded, "That baka, Naruto, just showed up at practice today with two sets of them. Hinata could barely move when she put hers on. And he even had the nerve to laugh at me when I fell over while we were sparing."

Nodding his understanding, Inoichi stated, "Dinner should be ready in about ten minutes. Why don't you clean up a bit and then take a warm bath after the meal. I think it would be help since your muscles will need some time to adjust to your new accessories."

Giving her father a weary smile, Ino sighed tiredly. "That sounds like a good idea."

As his daughter made her way upstairs, Inoichi was left to ponder how an orphan could acquire at least two sets of weights, each being worth what he would earn on several high ranked missions. After a couple of minutes of pondering varied and farfetched theories, Inoichi made to return to the kitchen while thinking, 'It is suspicious, but I don't want to cause the boy any trouble… Maybe the Hokage can give me some answers…'

XXXXX

Ino sighed contentedly as she slipped into the steaming hot water. Her reclined position worked in tandem with the soothing heat of the bath to alleviate the aches and pains that had been tormenting her since the end of training.

Usually, baths were something that she reserved for weekends, but this had been a special exception. As her father had pointed out, the weights had proven to be a bit more of an adjustment than she had anticipated.

Admitting such a weakness, even to herself, wounded her pride a bit. It took her a couple of seconds to tamp that feeling down and then to reign in her flaring irritation with Naruto. She really didn't have any reason to be angry with the boy, irrational reasons aside. While he had not shared his training method with her from the start, he had offered it in the end. But it still irritated her slightly that she hadn't noticed the weights in the weeks that they had trained together before his mission to Wave.

Stretching in the languid heat of the bath, the blonde kunoichi allowed her mind to turn away from the recent events. Ino had always been realistic in her expectations. Given what she knew about other clans in Konoha, she never dreamed of being the best in every ninja specialty. She had understood early in her academy career that, as a Yamanaka and infiltration specialist, long, drawn out battles would not end favorably for her. Her skills, beyond her clan techniques, tended more towards stealth and genjutsu. She would never be able to go toe-to-toe with a taijutsu master. She would never be able to go jutsu-for-jutsu with a ninjutsu specialist. One of the first lessons her father had explained to her was that, as a ninja, it was important to know your limitations.

But, if she was truly honest with herself, she had expected to be stronger than Naruto… and that expectation felt awkward to admit… even to herself. She did not like to think of herself as arrogant, but that is what the sentiment amounted to. Did it bother her that he could defeat her?

She couldn't answer that question. She knew that the two had become better friends since graduation. That friendship had led to a greater understanding of who Naruto really was: a rather likeable, hard working, slightly training obsessed guy. Sadly, Ino's competitive nature, and perhaps a bit of jealously, had allowed her to ignore that such an individual could surpass her. And he had… He had been going toe to toe with her and Hinata and had been doing so with an enormous amount of weight supposedly slowing him down.

Despite her wounded ego, there was no question about whether she enjoyed training with the blonde shinobi. Their training sessions seemed to provide her with an odd sense of both mental and physical gratification. Mentally, she admitted that she was simply thrilled to have someone challenge her. It was somewhat novel that he didn't attempt to coddle her, as she had more than enough of that from the other males in her life. From her over protective father to the lazy bakas that composed her team, it was refreshing to have someone that would push her to succeed and had few qualms about kicking her ass to motivate her.

Physically, training usually left her with a collection of aches, pains, and minor bruises. While atypical of what most girls would find comforting, they served as proof that she was growing as a kunoichi. And, whether she wanted to admit it or not, most of her exertions resulted from Naruto pushing and motivating her to exceed her limits.

That he was able to push and prod her when she was near exhausted should have been the first hint that he was at least comparable, if not superior, to her in strength and stamina. 'I really am a baka some times…' Pushing the thought from her mind, she slipped a bit further in the water; attempting to gain whatever recuperative benefits she could from the soothing liquid.

XXXXX

It was a couple of days later and the three genin had decided to call it a night in the fading light of dusk. Naruto absently ran through what he had accomplished throughout the day when he caught Hinata and Ino discussing how the weights made some of their chakra exercises, especially tree climbing, more difficult. Thinking back to some of his experiences in Wave, Naruto thought 'That's nothing… They really complicate water walking…' The thought had barely crossed his mind before he felt the overwhelming urge to smack himself upside the head.

Glancing over at the two girls as he scratched the back of his head nervously, remembering Ino's reaction from a couple of days ago for 'holding out on them,' Naruto began, "It's funny that you should mention chakra exercises… I learned a new one while I was in Wave… I could teach it to you if you are interested."

Ino simply stared at the boy for a moment, waiting for him to continue. Seeing that he wasn't going to without some sort of prodding, Ino responded in an exasperated tone. "Of course we are interested. What is it?"

Pleased that Ino had not had a more violent response to the delayed offer, Naruto responded playfully, "Hmmm… With that attitude, I am not going to tell you. You will just have to be surprised tomorrow."

Ino looked prepared to verbally berate him for being difficult before her face fell. Remembering something her mother had mentioned earlier in the week, Ino said, "I can't tomorrow. I have to prepare the flower beds behind the house for next season."

Frustrated that she was going to miss out on a new exercise, the blonde kunoichi kicked a small rock that was located along their path back towards the village. Watching as it skipped across the ground and into the underbrush, Ino continued, "It will probably wipe out most of my free time this weekend and most of next week… Everything has to be cleaned up and replanted. Plus I need to lay out a new bed."

Seeing that his friend was obviously frustrated, Naruto offered, "Would you like some help?"

Ino was lost in her thoughts and absently responded, "It would be nice, but no one wants to spend their weekend tearing up flower beds and spreading manure…" The question finally registered with the kunoichi and she looked towards the shinobi at the unexpected offer. "Would you really want to help?"

Smiling at the bright, hopeful expression, Naruto answered, "Well, not personally… But I know a couple of nice guys that would be more than willing."

Ino's response, whether it was irritation at Naruto for withdrawing his offer or an inquiry into who would want to help, was cut off by the appearance of about thirty Kage Bunshins.

Drawing the obvious conclusion that Naruto was volunteering to have his clones help out, Ino was left slightly envious of the shinobi's penchant for Bunshin techniques. While his abilities were going to be used for her benefit, it rankled slightly that she struggled to produce more than a handful of the Tsuchi Bunshins that Naruto had demonstrated a couple of weeks ago. Crossing her arms, Ino haughtily inquired, "What am I going to do with a bunch of stupid clones?"

One of the clones crossed its own arms as it huffed indignantly. "I will have you know that we are just as intelligent as the real article."

Ino smiled at the opening that had been provided. Sniffing haughtily, Ino responded, "Well, that is not saying much." The young Yamanaka burst out laughing at the shell-shocked look that appeared simultaneously on all the Narutos' faces. Gasping for breath, Ino quickly apologized, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… But you left yourself wide open for that."

XXXXX

The blonde kunoichi looked up from her current task and glanced around the yard. The various flowerbeds that inhabited the Yamanaka back yard were veritable hives of activity. A good number of Naruto's Kage Bunshins were weeding, spreading mulch, and planting seedlings. While thankful for the help, Ino was a bit surprised that the Narutos accomplished their gardening tasks with an amazing amount of alacrity.

The young girl stood up and observed to herself, "This is going much quicker than I thought it would."

One of the bunshins looked up from its task and asked brightly, "So will you be able to make it to practice tomorrow?"

Glancing about with a confident air, Ino responded, "Easily. About another half hour and everything should be wrapped up here."

"Great!!! I will let Naruto know." And with that statement, the bunshin dispersed with a barely audible pop.

The statement and the clone's disappearance caught the young kunoichi a bit off guard. After staring at the spot for a moment, Ino succinctly summarized her confusion by exclaiming, "What the hell?"

Another bunshin brushed off his hands as he approached Ino. "Don't worry about it. He was just informing the boss about your plans."

Ino, being her usual, expressive self waved her hands wildly as she inquired, "How the hell can he tell Naruto anything if he just destroyed himself?"

The Naruto bunshin looked at her for a second before responding, "When a Kage Bunshin disperses itself, its memories and experiences are transferred back to its creator. For instance, if I dispersed myself now, the boss would remember the topic and contents of this conversation."

That piece of information sent the young Yamanaka's mind spinning in several different directions. Having been near the top of her class for a reason, Ino began to categorize all the uses of such a technique. 'Well, that explains how he was able to improve so much since we graduated from the academy… There are probably dozens of Narutos running around, constantly training.'

Apparently understanding where Ino's thoughts would end up, the bunshin continued, "While useful, the jutsu is forbidden as it is too dangerous for common use. Most ninja have to be a jounin before they have enough chakra to use it properly. If you don't know what you are doing, you could end up in the hospital… or dead."

Turning over this last comment, Ino stared after the Bunshin for a moment as he went back to cleaning up an adjacent bed. Absently wondering both how Naruto had learned a forbidden technique and why he did not have any issues with the chakra requirements, Ino lost herself in the soothing tasks of gardening once again.

Ino's estimate of half an hour proved to be a bit optimistic, but it was only a short while before the yard was finished. While most of the bunshins had dispersed already, the one from earlier had stayed around to help the young Yamanaka with cleaning up and putting away the gardening tools.

Mirroring Ino's satisfied air as they looked around the yard, the bunshin offered, "Well, I will see you tomorrow… more or less." Smiling at the comment, the bunshin was about to disperse himself when he paused for a second. Grinning over at the blonde kunoichi, the bunshin offered, "Oh, and you may want to wear a swim suit or something… you will probably end up getting wet." And with that fairly specific but confusing comment, the smiling bunshin vanished in a puff of smoke.

XXXXX

Hinata's legs felt as if they were made of lead as she approached the river. Her stomach had been filled with butterflies since Naruto-kun had informed her the day before that she would need to wear a swimsuit if she wanted to learn the chakra exercise. The Hyuuga heiress took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves about what would happen when they arrived at the river… It didn't help. The trek through the forest seemed have passed much more quickly than it usually did.

Observing with an audible shallow that they had arrived at their destination, Hinata's body began to act of its own accord. The sound of the jacket's zipper being undone sounded to Hinata as if it were echoing throughout the small cove. She struggled with her breathing as she tried to convince herself that this was no different than when she went swimming with Hanabi-chan when they were younger.

Of course, even that seemingly innocent situation had proven awkward for the young kunoichi. In general, the women of the Hyuuga Clan favor a lithe body type. Confident, refined, demure, graceful, and lithe… Those were the unspoken characteristics that Hyuuga women were meant to strive for and achieve. That Hinata had begun to develop a much fuller figure at a young age was simply another instance of where she differed from most of her clan.

She had taken to hiding her body, always conscious of looks she received from others… even from members of her own clan. The heavy jacket she wore had been a staple of her wardrobe for years due to the attention she received otherwise. Even when Naruto had asked about the jacket during their training sessions, she had always avoided embarrassing herself by saying that she was a bit cold. But now the jacket and all the protection that it granted her would be lost. Taking a deep breath, she finally shrugged off her coat.

While Hinata was strengthening her resolve, Naruto found himself temporarily dumbfounded as he observed the girls. Ino had taken a quick look around the cove before she began to undress, revealing a blue one-piece swimsuit. While fairly conservative when compared to some of her other suits, the high cut the suit instantly drew Naruto's attention to her long legs. The blonde shinobi absently realized that, while Ino usually wore a rather interesting skirt, the bandages she always wrapped herself in concealed quite a bit. If anything, the skirt/bandage combination ended up being less revealing than some of the shorts kunoichi tended to wear.

He managed to free himself from some less than platonic thoughts only to be shocked into inaction once again by the Hyuuga heiress. While he had expected some type of reaction with regard to Ino, he was a bit shocked to discover exactly what Hinata had been hiding underneath her jacket.

Naruto had, of course, known that Hinata was a girl. But he had never really associated that fact with the realities of what that meant. Where Ino had always been very proud of and confident about her appearance, Hinata's manner of acting and style of dress seemed designed to deny any sort of sexual identity.

Naruto swallowed drily as he realized how wrong that facade had been. The Hyuuga heiress was breathtaking. The conservative swimsuit she wore seemed to accentuate her figure rather than hide it. Her body… the only thing that Naruto could think of was that it was perfectly proportioned. She was not tall, but not short. She was not thin, but definitively not heavy. Overall, she gave off the aura of being well toned, without the musculature that some kunoichi developed.

Her short hairstyle appeared to draw attention towards the graceful curve of her neck. Her ivory skin was smooth and unmarked. Her graceful neck gave way to oddly appealing shoulders. While not quite as large as some other girls, her breasts were large for her age and in proportion to her body. Her torso tapered noticeably at her waist before flaring in a very nice set of curves at her hips. She, simply put, was a beautiful young woman.

Naruto nearly smacked himself as soon as the thought crossed his mind. He was supposed to be helping his friends learn a chakra exercise, not gawking at them like some addle brained pervert. After ensuring that neither of the female genin had noticed his distraction, he glanced towards Haku, who was planning to study some medical scrolls after she finished building a small fire. Satisfied that he wasn't about to be pummeled for being a pervert, the blonde shinobi walked onto the rippling water to begin his explanation of the exercise to his friends.

After an hour, the water walking exercise had progressed with marked improvement on Hinata's part and frustration on Ino's. The exercise was being conducted from a swimming platform anchored in the middle of a rather large cove along the river. While the location would be swarming with villagers in a couple of months, it was still a bit too early in the year for civilians to be swimming in the river.

Despite her confident nature, Ino had felt a bit shy when she had first noticed Naruto's attention earlier in the day. While he wasn't blatant about it, she noticed an approving smile appearing on his lips as he had been explaining the exercise. Where she would have beaten him bloody a couple of months ago for looking at her, she now found his attention rather… flattering. But that didn't mean that she couldn't have a bit of fun at his expense.

Huffing in frustration from her position in the water, Ino asserted, "Despite everything, I am still not convinced that this 'chakra exercise' was not just a ploy to sneak a peak at me in a swimsuit."

Naruto, who had become accustomed to Ino's sense of humor, knew exactly how to respond. It would leave her foaming at the mouth, but unable to retaliate… at least immediately. The blonde shinobi walked over to where Hinata was standing on the water. She was still a bit unstable but was making excellent progress. Naruto threw his arm around the shoulders of the Hyuuga heiress and grinned at Ino. "Why would I waste my time looking at you when I have Hinata-chan here?"

Not really hearing his playful rejoinder, Ino simply stared at the blonde shinobi, wondering how tactless he could be. She could only watch helplessly as Hinata flushed at both the contact and the comment and fell away in a dead faint.

Naruto managed to catch her before she fell all the way into the water. Glancing back towards Ino with a confused and slightly uncomfortable look on his face, the young shinobi offered, "I guess Hinata-chan has tired herself out. I'll just take her back to shore so she can rest for awhile." Ino simply shook her head at the departing shinobi. 'Tired herself out? I mean… can he really be that dense?'

Upon Naruto's return to the water's surface, the chakra exercise quickly degenerated into a heated argument between Ino and Naruto. It was fairly obvious that the blonde shinobi's mocking comments were getting to the Yamanaka heir, as her expression slowly became more and more livid. More barbed comments were exchanged and Naruto ended up demonstrating his mastery of the exercise to a water treading Ino by walking around the water on his hands. After a few seconds of this mockery, Ino asked a question in a loud but deceptively calm voice, "Haku, could you lend me some assistance?"

Despite their rather unpleasant first encounter, the two girls had come to an understanding and had been acting far more amicably towards each other in the intervening weeks. It had been a rather stilted understanding at first, but Ino eventually found a nice icebreaker in sharing some tales about Naruto's more interesting exploits from his time at the Academy. Ino had also assisted the new kunoichi in settling in by referring the older girl to several shops or other points of interest.

"Sure." Before Naruto realized what was happening, the area around him was filled with whizzing sound of ice senbon needles. Although none of them were hitting him, their presence was enough of a distraction to break Naruto's concentration and send him into the cool water below. When he came sputtering to the surface, an irate blonde lunged towards him.

While Naruto had been able to stay out of Ino's reach while he was water walking, he was unable to do so in the water. The young kunoichi quickly took advantage of this fact by repeatedly dunking Naruto under the water.

Swimming had never been one of Naruto's strengths, as he did not have many opportunities to learn or practice when he was younger. What little he did know came from crudely imitating what he had observed others doing from a distance long after everyone had left the river. Training to walk on water in Wave had done little to improve his abilities.

The fact that he was still fully clothed also hampered his efforts to evade Ino and her claw like appendages. Gasping for breath as he struggled to the surface, Naruto thanked Kami that he had decided to not wear his weights today. After a couple of minutes, Ino appeared to tire of torturing Naruto and made to return to shore. A disgruntled and grumbling Naruto followed her at a safe distance.

Ino reached the shore and looked back at him with a surprisingly smug expression before she made her way towards the other two girls and the fire. Despite his irritation with the girl, Naruto found him momentarily distracted by the sway of her swimsuit clad hips. Once again berating himself mentally for the slip, Naruto continued to make his way towards the shore.

Naruto slogged his way towards the fire and, ignoring the amusement of Haku, the concern of Hinata, and the self-satisfaction of Ino, he began to remove his waterlogged clothing. Once he managed to wrestle himself free of his jacket, he began working on the heavy cotton shirt that was adhered to his body. His sandals and, finally, his pants soon followed these articles. He wrung the water out of his clothes and arranged them so that the fire would dry them out. He was so intent on his task that Naruto did not notice the startled reactions of his companions.

Naruto's adherence to strict physical training regimen and his extensive use of weights had caused his previously wiry frame to be transformed into a tightly muscled physique. The girls watched with varying degrees of attention and disbelief as the blonde's movements caused his chiseled muscles to bunch and flex in all sorts of interesting ways.

Ino's mouth was hanging open, completely shocked by what she was seeing. Unashamedly ogling her training companion, she traced the boy's contours with her eyes, while thinking, 'Sweet Kami!!! He's hot!!! Probably not as hot as Sasuke-kun… but DAMN!!!'

Haku, while having a similar opinion, had tilted her head slightly as she considered a question. 'How can he look like that when he eats nothing but ramen?'

Surprisingly, Hinata was acting the most circumspect in her observations, even though her crimson blush betrayed the path of her thoughts. Poking her fingers together she observed, 'He looks even better without using my Byakugan.'

Once he finished arranging his clothes, Naruto turned his attention to the girls only to find Haku and Ino giving him odd looks while Hinata was playing with her fingers. Fidgeting slightly at the attention, the shinobi uneasily inquired, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Haku took a couple seconds to respond, but eventually managed, "Mmm… I am not sure what you are talking about." While she was able to pull off the dismissive tone she was looking for, Naruto noticed that she was still staring.

Naruto shifted a bit as he responded, "You were looking at me funny…" Actually, she was still looking at him funny and it was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable.

Canting her head to the side, she asked innocently, "Do you have a problem with me looking at you?"

Naruto had learned enough discretion to think about his response before blurting it out. Unable to come up with a satisfactory rejoinder, Naruto sighed before he turned towards to other member of the staring duo. "What about you, Ino-chan? Could you explain what you are looking at?"

Ino, recovering from her brief mental vacation, decided to avoid the question with one of her own. "Why didn't you take off your clothes earlier if you have been wearing your swimsuit this whole time?"

And, with this seemingly innocent question, Ino succeeded in distracting Naruto from his train of thought. The simple truth was that his clothing had acted as a shield, both against the slight chill in the air and any questions that may have arisen about the massive seal that would have been visible on his abdomen due to the chakra exercise.

In his own attempt at question avoidance and misdirection, Naruto responded by crossing his arms petulantly and pouting like a small child. "I didn't think that I would fall in."

At this point, the three girls took in his expression and began giggling in unison. Naruto was a bit freaked out by this… reaction, but rationalized that it was infinitely better than awkward questions or the looks they had been giving him a couple of seconds ago.

A/N – Well… it took a while, but it is the longest chapter yet at over 20,000 words. This chapter served to add a bit depth to the characters and the story in general… Naruto resumes his training and learns a bit about the world around him. Haku begins her integration into Konoha. Ino wrestles with social crises involving how she views the world. And Hinata, despite her personal realizations, continues to spend time with and to be influenced by Naruto. I hope the water-walking scene worked for everyone as writing it was a bit troublesome. Please let me know what you thought of the scene or the chapter in general.

Next Chapter: Manners and Etiquette

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	13. Chapter 13

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 13: Manners and Etiquette

Ino awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in her bed, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. "What the..." she said to herself as she looked around at the familiar shadows of her room.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she fought to regain control of her breathing as she tried to remember what had woken her up. Ino remembered that she had been dreaming, she knew that much. 'It was a really hot dream too, with a great looking guy that had blonde...' The young kunoichi flushed a brilliant crimson in her darken room as her memory of the dream returned.

"Oh, Kami..." Ino groaned as she flopped back onto her bed. "I so do not need this!!!"

Shifting slightly as she stared at the ceiling, Ino was left to wonder why the hell she was having erotic dreams about Naruto. She shivered once again as she began to recall the dream itself with a surprising amount of clarity. His warm breathe washing over her skin… Calloused hand caressing her… That insolent smirk he wore as he watched her pant in excitement…

Flipping over as she attempted to force the thoughts from her mind, she groaned as she caught sight of her alarm clock, doubting that she would be able to sleep anytime soon.

XXXXX

The Sandaime reviewed the mission scroll before him, considering the possibilities that it represented. The village received hundreds of missions a year, but few rose to this level of importance. The difficulty of the mission itself was not the issue, as the mission would be C ranked. After all, there was little risk in providing a team to serve as a supplement to a military escort within the borders of Fire Country.

The importance of the mission was derived from the client's identity. Any missions related to the Fire Daimyo, let alone the protection of Fire Daimyo's immediate family, were given special attention.

The political interactions between Konoha and the Fire Daimyo's court were always a bit tricky. With Konoha representing one of Fire Country's most valuable strategic assets, the court always handled their part of the interaction with particular care. To ensure Konoha's continued strength, the court usually allowed the ninja village free reign with regard to trade, internal affairs, and taxation.

Konoha's quasi-fief status has evolved from an agreement between the founding clans of Konoha and the Fire Daimyo. The five clans had served as the political base upon which Konoha had organized many of Fire Country's ninja clans into a coherent military force. That the Shodaime and other clan leaders had gone on to lead that force to great effect in what became known as the First Shinobi War solidified Konoha's place in Fire Country's political landscape. The clan agreement granted Konoha certain freedoms so long as they maintained order and fulfilled its obligations. The position of Hokage and the city council had also evolved from this agreement.

But, much as the court strived for Konoha's continued strength, steps were also taken to ensure Konoha's continued loyalty and obedience. While the presence of Konoha represented one of Fire Country's strongest deterrents to war and invasion, it also represented a potential danger as a ninja village operated in a mercenary fashion by its very nature. To protect itself from this perceived risk, the court exercised influence through economic and political means, remaining vigilant for signs of betrayal.

Despite what many of the council members wanted to think, Konoha was not powerful enough to simply ignore the Fire Daimyo. In addition to the economic power wielded by the Fire Daimyo through missions and financial levies, the ruler of Fire Country controlled enough military power to wipe out the village if he decided that Konoha had outlived its usefulness. While the reduction of the village by the samurai army and its levies would by no means be bloodless, the village would eventually be reduced to ash.

In order to promote smooth diplomatic relations, it was not uncommon for the Fire Daimyo to institute goodwill missions. Having court officials develop a personal relationship with their ninja counterparts served to forestall disagreements and misunderstandings. Further, friendships allowed for frank and open communications even in the most stressful of times.

To this end, it had long been a tradition for the heirs of the ninja clans, especially the senior clans, to be assigned these goodwill missions. The heirs served as diplomatic liaisons while executing prestigious assignments that ranged from serving as personal bodyguards during state visits to escorting incognito dignitaries on their vacations. These assignments allowed the future leaders of the village to interact with court officials and smooth relations by making a personal investment into the political situation.

A small smile settled over the Hokage's visage as a plan began to form. 'News of this mission will have undoubtedly reached the ears of Danzo and my old teammates by now… I can simply wait and the council members will jump all over the chance to 'advise' me to send the Uchiha's team. After a good show of reluctance and extracting some minor concessions on other issues, I can simply 'cave in' to the pressure. Satisfied with their victory, not one of them will express any concern that Naruto just happens to be on the escort team as well… They really are quite oblivious sometimes.'

XXXXX

"Etiquette?" The word seemed to roll off Naruto's tongue somewhat unnaturally. Having been signaled by the Hokage to remain after Team Seven's mission briefing, the blonde shinobi was caught off guard by the topic of conversation.

Sarutobi nodded as he continued his explanation. "Proper manners are essential to being a successful leader. While blunt honesty also has a place, being diplomatic is often invaluable when dealing with both enemies and allies. Even the most difficult of negotiations can progress far more smoothly when both sides agree to adopt a veneer of civility. As such, both a clan head and Hokage need to be well versed in political interactions and etiquette. The use of proper titles, the depth of a bow offered in greeting, etc."

Anticipating the gaping boy's question, Sarutobi continued, "And yes, Naruto, I am serious. You should know by now that a Hokage is more of a politician than he is a warrior. I have not had to fight seriously in over a decade, but I show up here nearly every day to administer the village."

Smiling slightly at the disgruntled expression that had settled on the young shinobi's continence, Sarutobi continued, "Etiquette will help you in a variety of situations. You need skills in diplomacy and negotiation not only as a Kage, but as a successful ninja and clan head. The business agreements, contracts, and investments that make up your family's financial legacy are built on these skills. And there is more to ninja missions then simply killing your opponents. Missions that involve attending diplomatic functions and negotiating disputes can be many times more important than assassination or protection missions."

The young shinobi's mind flashed through scenes, both real and imagined, of people in uncomfortable clothing continuously bowing to each other while drinking tea in very elaborate fashions. "How am I supposed to learn that stuff in a week? Books are not going to work for this type of thing."

The Sandaime smiled as Naruto's comment served as a perfect opening for the Hokage's next statement. "While I could teach you myself, may I suggest that you ask your friends for help? Where you have been able to escape these lessons up until this point, most clans have a tendency to begin teaching etiquette and the basics of politics to their children from a young age."

Seeing the boy frown in thought, Sarutobi decided to go in for the kill. While he would normally restrain himself from such direct meddling, he thought that this would benefit both Naruto and Konoha as a whole. "I know for a fact that the Hyuuga Clan begins to formally train their children as young as three years of age."

XXXXX

Hinata couldn't help but smile as she listened to Naruto ask her for assistance. It was odd to her that he would feel nervous about asking for help when they had spent so much time together. Perhaps it was because he always felt that their physical training would benefit both of them as opposed to these lessons, which would only help him. 'If he only knew…'

She had always known that Naruto was a bit… rough around the edges. While she occasionally was startled by the blonde shinobi's actions or words, his lack of etiquette was something that she envied a bit as it allowed him to be far more direct and forceful than many would deem polite. 'If I could assist him in developing the skills necessary to be more circumspect without loosing the edge that I admire in him… It will be a challenge.'

Shaking herself from her introspection, she found Naruto looking towards her with such hopefulness that the young heiress found the expression both heart wrenching and undeniable. "So… will you be able to help me?"

Hinata blushed prettily at the attention the blonde was giving her and the thought of spending even more time with the blonde shinobi. "I… I would be h… happy to teach you, Naruto-kun. It's not going to be easy given the amount of time w… we have, but I am sure you will achieve your goals. These skills w… will be a necessity for when you become Hokage."

Somewhat humbled by the confidence inherent in the last statement, Naruto solemnly responded, "Thank you. I promise to be a diligent student." Smiling impishly, Naruto continued, "When can we start, Hinata-sensei?" The gratitude behind the response and the new suffix cause the shy heiress' breathe to catch.

Hinata's blush intensified further as the young girl recalled a number of situations she had read about in some of her manga… Specifically about some rather improper liaisons between senseis and their students.

Not liking that she had been excluded from this discussion, the blonde kunoichi who had been listening in on the conversation drew attention to herself when she inquired, "Hey, what about me?"

Seeing the confusion apparent in the dense shinobi's eyes, Ino continued, "You are going to need all the help you can get. Even I can see how this is going to be a problem. I mean, honestly, you have the table manners of an animal and you wouldn't know tact if it beat you about the head with a mallet."

Naruto simply gaped open mouthed at the blonde kunoichi. Here he was talking about his childhood, admitting a shortcoming, and even asking for help and all Ino could do was agree and insult him? 'Well, two can play at this game…'

"Well, in all honesty, Ino-chan I didn't think you could be of much assistance. Etiquette, huh? I can see how Hinata-chan is well versed in these areas, but you have always struck me as being fairly 'boarish'."

Instead of responding directly to the pun/barb, Ino assumed a haughty air as she stated, "I will have you know that I have been trained since birth to be the very picture poise and femininity."

Naruto chortled derisively a moment before he continued, "If that is true, then I think that the Yamanakas are giving blondes a bad name. Even I would have realized by now that such a lofty goal was a lost cause, especially given the material."

A small smile appeared on the blonde shinobi's face as he observed the disappearance of Ino's haughty expression. "I seem to recall more than a few screeching arguments during our time at the academy. Even more recently, I seem to recall that just about every time I win a sparring match, you use language that would make Kakashi-sensei blush through his mask. That is not exactly the type of 'lady-like' behavior I would expect from someone well trained in etiquette."

During this declaration, Hinata unobtrusively moved away from her Naruto-kun. The reason for this subtle abandonment was that, as much as she admired the confident shinobi, she was not willing to stand in the way of his punishment, especially when it was so richly deserved.

True to form, the young Yamanaka quickly descended on Naruto in a fit of feminine fury. After nearly a minute of dishing out retribution, the blonde kunoichi abandoned her assault on the moaning shinobi and stormed off across the clearing while muttering, "Stupid blonde baka… Absolutely no tact… Got what was coming to him…"

As she reached her destination, Ino began assaulting one of the training posts located there. Her anger was easily broadcast across the clearing by the sound of the rapid-fire, staccatoof punches and kicks being rained down upon the surface of the log.

As Naruto began to recover, Hinata spoke up. "Ano… I… I think that you should feel honored by Ino's behavior, Naruto-kun. Etiquette is a weapon that can be used in many circumstances. The p… practices allow you to hide your feelings and intentions through formalized titles and elaborate rituals. For Ino to feel comfortable enough around you to be unconcerned about appearances speaks highly of the level of trust she places in you."

Glancing up a the blonde shinobi before focusing her attention on her fingers, the Hyuuga heiress continued softly, "I am sure you have noticed that she acts very differently during our training sessions than when she is on duty or simply hanging out in the village. Y… you above anyone else should understand the importance of masks and the meaning behind her feeling brave enough to actually remove hers."

After a moment of thought, Naruto offered, "Thanks, Hinata-chan. Sometimes I need someone to tell me when I am being an idiot."

Seeing an opportunity, Hinata stopped the boy from walking away and gave him his first lesson in proper behavior. Shortly afterward, Naruto made his way across the clearing, slowly approaching the enraged kunoichi.

Noting Naruto's approach, Ino ceased her exercise and turned to face him. Cracking her knuckles, Ino inquired, "Come back for another helping? I have a lot more where that came from."

Bowing deeply, Naruto intoned seriously, "Ino-chan, I apologize for my comment and ask your forgiveness. I would deeply appreciate any assistance you are willing to provide."

Ino looked upon the scene with no small amount of shock. Even knowing that his actions were likely the results of Hinata's gentle guidance, Ino was well aware of how difficult such a formal admission would be for him. The blonde's casual personality and his legendary stubborn nature made the formal gesture all the more meaningful.

Collecting herself, Ino responded, "I accept your apology…, but do not believe for a second that you have been totally forgiven. I was going to help you anyways..." A cold smiled settled on the young kunoichi's features as she continued, "Preparation for this mission gives me the perfect excuse to beat some manners into you. After all, you have even asked for it." Naruto shivered despite the warmth of the evening.

XXXXX

Having tested and been pleasantly surprised by Haku's medical knowledge, the administrators in charge of the med nin program decided train the girl in the operations of the different departments. To this end, Haku had been assigned to work the swing shift as she learned about the operations of the emergency ward.

This assignment meant that, outside of their morning training sessions, Naruto was seeing far less of the young med nin than he had become accustomed to over the past couple of weeks. So when both Hinata and Ino were unable to train one evening due to some family obligations, Naruto decided to pay her a visit at work.

Having listened to her complaints about the hospital cafeteria's food, he thought that it would be a nice gesture to bring her dinner. After dropping by Ichiraku's Ramen and a small okaynomiaki stand that Haku seemed to like, Naruto made his way to the hospital. On the way, Naruto decided that his visit would be far less troublesome for both Haku and himself if he maintained the henge he had used while purchasing the okaynomiaki. While using the henge had become almost second nature, it still rankled the young shinobi slightly that villagers would treat a complete stranger much better than they would him.

Entering the hospital a short while later, Naruto was hit by the anti-septic smell that always made him feel a bit uncomfortable. The reason for this reaction was not hard to imagine as many of his more unpleasant memories had ended with a trip to this building. The blonde shinobi remembered all too well the looks of distain and cold fury sent his way by the hospital staff as they were forced to work under the ANBU's watchful eye during some of these visits.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Naruto approached the nursing station in the emergency ward and inquired, "Excuse me ma'am. I am looking for a med-nin in training named Haku. Could you please tell me where I could find her?"

The middle-aged woman observed the boy before her with a perceptive eye. While she was never one to indulge, the gossip mills had been in flurry about the new girl. After all, it wasn't every day that a beautiful, well-trained medical student with the Hokage's favor appeared out of nowhere. It was amusing to watch the many of the female students adjust to this invasion of their academic and social sphere. In addition, it was a bit disgusting to watch a number of the hospital's male employees swarm around the poor girl.

Finding nothing suspicious about the boy in front on her, the nurse responded, "She is assisting with general patient care at the moment, but she should be finishing up her rounds in a few minutes… You can sit in a waiting area until she returns."

"Thank you." Naruto walked away from the counter, curious as to how much more difficult that simply piece of information would have been to obtain without his henge.

It was only a couple of minutes before a soft "Naruto?" shook the blonde shinobi from a staring contest that he had unwittingly entered with a young boy in the waiting room.

Naruto glanced over and found Haku looking a bit different than was her custom. Instead of her usual apparel, the young kunoichi wore some of those disposable scrubs and had her hair in a high ponytail. Smiling broadly at the girl and gesturing at the packages he carried, Naruto offered, "Hey, Haku-chan. I hope you haven't eaten yet."

Upon discovering that her friend had dropped by just to have dinner with her, the young kunoichi returned his smile. The couple of weeks since arriving in Konoha had been among the best times of her life. Despite the emotional turmoil and uncertainty surrounding her arrival, she could describe the life she now led as nearly idyllic.

She had a comfortable place to live and enough to eat… These simple facts, facts that most of Konoha's residents took for granted, had been a fairly rare occurrence while she was living as a missing nin. In addition to the basic necessities, the Hokage himself had gone out of his way to welcome her by providing her with an opportunity to prove herself to him and the village. The med nin program allowed her to improve her medical skills in a far more structured environment than she had ever enjoyed.

It had only been a couple of weeks and yet she really couldn't imagine what her life would be like if she had made different decisions. Even when it had been just Zabuza and herself in the early days of her training, she didn't think that she had ever felt the sense of peace she now enjoyed. She felt… safe… secure… content. The young kunoichi was well aware that Naruto had played an integral role in everything that had come to pass. Accepting that simple truth, Haku had begun to express her appreciation in an odd fashion, one that current circumstances called for.

Hugs had been a part of her life that she thought she had lost, as they did not exactly fit in with being trained and cared for by a gruff missing nin. Any sign of affection had been hard to come by and the existence of the kind of comfort a hug represented had almost been forgotten. It had never really occurred to her as a conscious thought before her arrival in Konoha, but Haku realized that she had been missing the sort of physical comfort that she had always associated with her mother.

The first one she had shared with Naruto had been enjoyable, if a bit awkward. It was an odd feeling to be embraced by someone you care for. You just feel… protected… appreciated… loved?

It had taken a few repetitions for Naruto to accept the contact without tensing up, but he eventually got used to it. It had occurred to Haku that Naruto was even more of a loner than she had been and was probably fairly unfamiliar with this sort of intimacy. He was getting better, but still blushed a bit each time. Haku found this reaction both amusing and adorable.

Hugs were not an everyday occurrence, as that would be pushing the bounds of their friendship. But if Naruto had mastered a jutsu she taught him or she was meeting him for ramen at Ichiraku's, she really couldn't resist. The first time she had hugged him in front of the two ramen chefs had been hilarious.

Teuchi had had a field day with Naruto, providing him with bits of dating advice in exaggerated stage whispers. Some of the more pointed comments had caused Naruto to blush severely. Ayame, on the other hand, had just stared at her for a long moment, as if evaluating her with the critical eye only a mother or big sister would possess. To see such a reaction from them had only endeared the two ramen chefs to her further. He wasn't just a customer to them… he was family.

After Haku had released him, a now sheepish Naruto, taking the opportunity to continue his etiquette training, offered the young med-nin his arm as they made their way towards the cafeteria. As they were sitting down at an isolated table, Naruto noticed that they were being watched from across the room by what Naruto took to be an orderly. The young man was rather non-descript and looked to be in his early to mid twenties. Brown hair, brown eyes, medium height, medium build… nothing about the man stood out in any way. Later Naruto found that he couldn't describe the man in anything more than the vaguest of terms.

The only reason that Naruto did not miss him entirely was that he was glaring at him from over Haku's shoulder. Puzzled by the reaction, as he was still henged to look like his alter ego, Naruto asked Haku about the guy. As she turned around, Naruto witnessed the man's expression shift from hostile to besotted in the blink of an eye.

Haku, sighing in apparent exasperation before she turned back towards her meal, responded, "Oh, don't worry about him. He is just a bothersome nuisance…"

Naruto blinked slowly as he put the pieces together before smiling broadly at the grumbling girl. "You never told me that you had an admirer. You have been in town a couple of weeks and you are already breaking hearts left and right."

Haku's frown deepened as Naruto's playful tone and unwelcome commentary only served to further exasperate the young kunoichi. "Don't get me started on him. I haven't done anything to encourage the guy, but he always seems to be hovering around during my breaks. It is actually kind of creepy… It does not help that he is like eight years older than me."

While the most of hospital staff treated her with courtesy and respect, Haku was ever vigilant to ensure that the small group of admirers, fanboys, and perverts she seemed to have acquired maintained a tolerable distance from her person.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he refocused his attention on his ramen. "Weird, but I can't really blame the guy for thinking that you are pretty. It was the first thing that I noticed when we met."

Haku's eyes snapped towards the blonde shinobi only to find him inhaling his ramen at what had to be an unhealthy pace. It was amazing to her that he could give her such a complement without even flinching, but would be embarrassed by the simplest things.

Deciding to dig a little deeper, Haku responded in a casual manner. "Oh, and what about now? And don't eat so quickly."

Remarkably, Naruto's pace slowed a great deal as he even paused to wipe his mouth with a napkin. "Well, you do look quite cute in your scrubs. I would hate to think of what the guy would do if he saw you in your everyday clothes or that yukata you were wearing back in Wave. He might just end up here as a patient due to blood loss."

The shinobi's chuckling was cut off as his mind flashed back to the memory of how the wet yukata had adhered to Haku's body on the day she had visited Zabuza's grave. Scolding himself for the mental slip, Naruto pushed the memory from his mind as he returned his attention to his ramen.

As such, he missed the searching look in Haku's eyes. She couldn't help but study him for a moment. In the short time she had lived in Konoha, she had been approached by a number of individuals. Shinobi and civilian, slightly younger and embarrassingly older… a number of men had complimented her on her looks, her intelligence, her medical skills… and yet their motives were as transparent as glass.

Her years of traveling with a missing nin had gifted her with a finely tuned sense of intuition. When you lived in constant fear of betrayal and entrapment, you learned to pay attention to even the smallest details. As such, she was largely able to sense a person's sincerity simply by analyzing facial expressions and body movements. Even ninja as experienced as Zabuza-sama and Kakashi-san had their tells if you looked closely enough.

The young kunoichi couldn't help but apply these abilities to Naruto, attempting to discern any deceit in his commentary, any ulterior motives behind his comments. She was not surprised when she found none, as Naruto had always been amazing forthright with her.

Haku considered this as she gazed across the table at her friend. The young shinobi had played a great many roles in her life over the past couple of weeks. Guard, consoler, sponsor, student, confessor, and companion… But most importantly he had become her friend. And the fact that she was allowing such a friend to hide behind a disguise to avoid some difficulties with her coworkers bothered her.

In a quiet voice, she requested, "Naruto-kun, please disperse the henge." Responding to the curious, slightly startled look she received, Haku continued, "I know what you are going to say, but if people are going to dislike me for simply being your friend, then they are not worth my time to begin with."

Naruto shifted slightly as he glanced around the room before looking at her for a long moment. Eventually he responded, "I just don't want to cause you any problems, Haku-chan."

Haku reached across the small table and touched the blonde shinobi's hand to emphasize her point. As if to highlight her earlier thoughts, the blonde shinobi blushed at this sign of affection. Looking intently into his currently brown eyes, she simply stated, "Naruto-kun… I would rather suffer their animosity than to have you believe that I am, in anyway, ashamed of knowing you or of being your friend."

XXXXX

Naruto made to open the door to the Hokage's office, grateful that the chuunin assistant for the day had absently waved him through before returning his attention to his duties.

Entering the office the young shinobi found the Hokage behind his desk, reading a rather familiar book. Choosing to ignore this blatant bit of perversion, Naruto called out, "Hey, old man. How's the paperwork?"

The book disappeared so quickly that many would think that they had imagined it. Truth be told, the exclamation had caught the old man a bit off guard as there were few people that could simply walk into his office, even unannounced, without triggering an unconscious reaction on his part.

Finding a familiar blonde closing the door behind him, the Hokage was somewhat surprised by the boy's presence. There was little cause for him to come by the office as their respective Kage Bunshins spent several hours with one another every day in the library. Certain that he would have an explanation shortly, the Hokage smiled at his guest. "It has been subdued for the day, but I believe it plans to renew its offensive tomorrow morning. How has your day been going?"

"Pretty good… the girls have been helping out quite a bit with my training, but I had a break today…" Nervously scratching the back of his head, Naruto continued, "Sorry to just drop in like this, but I have a favor to ask…"

At the Hokage's curious expression, Naruto continued, "Hmmm… I was visiting Haku-chan at work today and some of the doctors and other staff were giving her some ugly looks after I dropped my henge. Could you keep an eye out and make sure they don't hold it against her?"

Sarutobi exhaled heavily as he considered the headaches the hospital staff had caused him over the years with regards to Naruto. Several doctors and other staff members had been either disciplined or dismissed due to various infractions. One had even been executed for an attempt on the boy's life. Pushing these unpleasant memories from his mind, Sarutobi responded, "I will keep an eye out for any difficulties."

XXXXX

The etiquette training itself became a bit nerve racking as the week progressed. The reading he was required to do on the subject was dry and boring. Worse, a number of the books seemed to contradict each other on a number of points. The vague notions of social standing and the formality required in different settings based on personal relationships made his head spin whenever he thought about it.

Counter to this unpleasant aspect of the training, Hinata turned out to be a very patient and thorough teacher. In addition to calmly explaining various greetings and honorifics and the appropriate use for each, she went out of her way to stage mock meals and tea ceremonies so that he wouldn't be caught off guard during those situations.

The circumstances allowed Naruto the opportunity to demonstrate his nascent sealing abilities to both Hinata and Ino. While his first functioning sealing scroll was used to simply transport a table, a tea set, and some other supplies, the girls were dually impressed and inquired about when he would be teaching them to make seals.

True to her word, Ino became very enthusiastic about correcting his mistakes. The first thing out of Ino's mouth was a demand that he call her 'Yamanaka-sama' while they were training. Naruto's response was rather blunt. "Why the hell would I do that?"

WHACK!!! After having smacked the blonde shinobi upside his head, Ino continued, "To teach you some respect. Many nobles are sticklers for such formality as the use of the proper suffix is an important denotation of social standing. An overly familiar or presumptuous greeting could be taken as a grievous insult."

Continuing this general trend, the young Yamanaka had taken to pacing behind him during the mock meals and snapping him lightly with a thin switch she had acquired. A light snap to his lower back would remind him to correct his posture. A snap across the wrist would prevent him for reaching for a snack in the middle of a ceremony. While slightly irritated with the snap happy blonde, Naruto allowed this little game of hers to continue without comment as a sign of his contrition for his comments.

Naruto waited for the volatile Yamanaka to become distracted before he asked Hinata a question that had been bothering for a couple of days. "Hinata… Given everything that you have said about titles and such… Are you offended that I often refer to you as -chan?"

Hinata goggled for a second before responding, "No!!! No, not at all. It is s…something that I deeply treasure."

Realizing how such a claim may come across, the Hyuuga heiress mentally scrambled for a safe explanation. "I have never really had any close friends and t…that you think of me as such is something that I treasure."

Seeing the warm smile Naruto was giving her, a blushing Hinata began to play with her fingers as she continued, "The only time when it would be a…advisable to change would be in the presence of my family… especially my father. He can be strict about such things…"

XXXXX

Nearing the end of the week, Naruto and Ino remained behind after Hinata's departure to reseal the items they had used during their practice. While recounting his plans for the next day, Naruto absently mentioned his need to acquire some formal clothes for situations that may arise as part of his escort responsibilities.

Unfortunately for him, he missed the interest that flared in the blonde kunoichi's eyes at the mention of shopping. Had he been paying attention, he would have observed the appearance of a slightly malicious grin as, in the interests of helping her friend, the young Yamanaka decided to offer her assistance… This, of course, meant that Naruto was about to be browbeaten into another shopping trip with his blonde training partner.

The situation grew more troublesome for the Kazama heir when, while outlining what he would need to buy to improve his current wardrobe, the blonde shinobi made an off hand comment about how he also needed to buy some new ninja clothing. Frowning at nothing in particular, he began to complain about having spent money on a new wardrobe only to have just about everything he had purchased shrink. He began pulling at the shirt he was wearing, which Ino noticed did look to be a bit small on his frame.

Raising an amused eyebrow at him as she listened to his complaints, Ino lightly offered, "Somehow I don't think it's the shirt's fault, so you can stop picking on it."

"Well of course not," Naruto replied obtusely. "Shirts can't exactly shrink themselves, can they? They must have shrunk in the wash or something. Still I had hoped that they would last a bit longer. My last set of jumpsuits lasted for almost three years."

"First, that jumpsuit was a crime against fashion so you can't compare it to normal clothing. Second, that is not what I meant," Ino said with an impish grin. "You have been training pretty heavily over the past few months…"

Naruto nodded dumbly, not understanding where she was going with that statement or what it had to do with his clothes shrinking. "Yeah, so?"

Ino's grin transformed into a broad smile at his dense response before she continued, "Because it's not that the shirts are shrinking… It is that you are just getting bigger."

At Naruto's bewildered expression, Ino exhaled in exasperation before she continued, "Honestly, after months of heavy training and working out on a daily basis, what did you expect? I can tell just by looking at you that you have grown a couple of inches and filled out quite a bit since we graduated. You are not, by any means, an Adonis, but it does look good on you."

Naruto ducked his head to hide his blush and scuffed his sandal on the ground, caught completely off guard by her comment. The blonde kunoichi smiled mischievously as she circled behind him. The boy's response to her observation pleased her for reasons that she would rather not think about. Leaning towards the boy from behind him, Ino whispered, "It is nice to see that you are modest about some things."

A shiver passed through Naruto's body as her warm breath brushed against his ear. Given their relative positions, he failed to observe how the blonde kunoichi's eyes danced in amusement as she observed this reaction.

Finding her prey sufficiently off balance, the young kunoichi unleashed her assault. "So, we have a lot to do tomorrow. You are pretty much helpless when it comes to clothes and we need to replace your normal mission clothes and pick out some formal clothes in case you need them on your escort mission… In addition, we definitely need to get you some casual clothes…"

The blonde kunoichi tapped her chin thoughtfully as she continued, "Besides the swimsuit, I don't think I have seen you in anything other the mission clothes I helped you with a couple of months ago. It is just not healthy to wear the same thing every day."

'We? Since when? And why do I need casual clothes if I am a ninja?' Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the stream of logic that Ino had just unleashed, the blonde shinobi felt the need to be contradictory. Naruto ended up muttering, "I am not helpless… I can shop for myself…" It only took a moment for him to think of the perfect counter to her arguments. Speaking a bit more assertively, Naruto asked, "And haven't you ever noticed that Sasuke-teme wears the exact same thing everyday?"

Knowing that he was just being difficult, Ino responded to the question with one of her own. "Are you saying that you want to be more like Sasuke-kun?" Her rejoinder shut him up pretty effectively.

Sensing her inevitable victory, Ino continued, "I am volunteering to give up even more of my free time to help you out… You should simply accept my gracious offer and stop being such a baby. It is for your own good after all."

Naruto looked towards his friend and noticed that she was watching him with what he took to be a menacing grin. The blonde shinobi couldn't help the unease he felt under that disconcerting gaze. It was clear that she had already decided that she was going to help him and was just toying with him… 'Like a cat toying with a mouse.'

The odd scene of a giant cat shaped Ino batting him around while displaying a frightening number of sharp, white teeth flashed through his mind. Fighting off the urge to snort at his odd imagination, Naruto chose to concentrate on the topic at hand. "Fine, we will go shopping." The tone of his statement was the same he'd use to confirm that Ichiraku's had burned to the ground.

XXXXX

The young kunoichi was pleased to note that Naruto had shown up at the appointed time despite his professed reluctance to the shopping expedition. They were only a block or so from her house when, after a small pop, Ino turned to find herself walking beside a complete stranger.

The boy, while retaining Naruto's general shape, could not have been any more different for her friend's normal appearance. Naruto's blonde and rather wild hair had been replaced by rather lifeless brown tresses. Where Naruto's face was tan and retained a bare hint of youth, this boy's pale, sharp features appeared a bit gaunt. Even the boy's eyes had shifted from cerulean blue to a cinnamon brown. "Why are you transformed?"

"Umm… Most stores won't let me in to shop. Too many pranks and what not… That is why I was shopping in disguise the last time…"

Accepting his answer at face value, Ino quicken their pace towards the commercial district. After entering the first store, they quickly fell into the pattern of Ino picking out various outfits and Naruto wordlessly entering the dressing rooms. When he exited, the young kunoichi would spend an inordinate amount of time inspecting the clothes and passing sentence. This process repeated itself endlessly, at least from Naruto's perspective. Before he knew it, they had spent over three and a half hours collecting a variety of new clothes from a variety of stores.

Exiting the most recent store, Naruto, still henged, created yet another Kage Bunshin to hold some of the numerous bags they had acquired during their expedition. Ino, while spending a great deal of time watching, directing, and critiquing him, had managed to find something for herself in just about every store they entered.

Naruto felt a bit uneasy when he noticed that, while the whole shopping experience was wearing on him, his companion seemed to be gaining strength from each and every purchase they made. 'Maybe she is some sort of clothing vampire, sucking sustenance from uncomfortable shoes and brightly colored fabrics.'

Shaking the strange thought from his head, Naruto, looking over at his bubbly companion, begged, "Ino-chan, can we please call it a day? I don't think I can take any more!"

Ino, having a great deal of experience with lazy and difficult boys, answered, "Hurry up. There are a few more stores that I want to go through."

"But we have everything I need."

WHACK!!! "Stop whining!!! This is for your own good!!! You need to look presentable for your mission and it won't hurt you to have a couple of nice things to wear on your days off."

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto mumbles, "I think you just like ordering me around."

The young kunoichi was about to respond to Naruto's mumbled statement, when she spotted two individuals approaching them from down the street. The two individuals just happened to be her lazy teammates, who usually required far more prodding than her current companion. The blonde kunoichi raised her hand in greeting and inquired, "Hey, what are you two up to?"

"Hey Ino. Hey Naruto." The three other ninja looked at Shikamaru: one questioningly and the other two in surprise.

The henged Naruto was the first to respond to the Nara's casual greeting. "How did you know it was me?"

Shikamaru yawned before lazily stating, "Educated guess."

After a couple of seconds of looking between Shikamaru and the person standing beside Ino, Chouji seemed to accept that the person was Naruto and moved onto more pressing concerns. "You guys want to come to lunch with us? We were heading over to Ichiraku's Ramen."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock at this fortuitous turn of events. He had been dreading being dragged into another store, but it seemed that Kami was smiling down upon him. Surely Shikamaru's and Chouji's arrival spoke of divine intervention as not only was he was going to eat ramen, but he would also be able to plan how to avoid being dragged into 'a few more stores.' "Sure!!!"

At the mention of lunch, Ino looked down at her watch and swore, "Damn it! I was supposed to be back at the shop fifteen minutes ago." WHACK!!! "Why didn't you tell be that it was so late?"

Once again rubbing the back of his head, Naruto responded, "Would you stop doing that?!?! I didn't say anything about the time because YOU didn't say anything about when you had to go home!" Naruto easily predicted Ino's response to this comment, but decided to take action to avoid the potentially painful results.

WHUFF!!! Ino looked at Naruto in shock for a second, and then attempted to rectify having missed the blonde shinobi. WHUFF!!! WHUFF!!!

The young Nara sighed heavily as he watched the two blondes engage in a strange dance of cat and mouse. 'If I didn't know better, I would say they are flirting with each other… How troublesome…' Clearing his throat, Shikamaru attempted to unobtrusively remind the troublesome blonde and her pseudo-brunette companion of their current location.

Blushing a bit in embarrassment as she glanced around, Ino decided that the best thing to do would be to ignore the last part of her exchange with Naruto. "Anyways, I have to go. I will see you two tomorrow for practice and…" Ino's tone shifted slightly as she addressed Naruto, "…you tonight for your test."

The blonde shinobi suppressed a flinch at the reminder. Naruto had been unaware of his 'test' before this morning. The three girls that apparently ran his life had decided, without any input from him, that they wanted to see the results of all their hard work. While the idea had Ino's fingerprints all over it, Hinata and Haku would also be attending the formal dinner. Unable to voice his concerns about actually being able to eat in a restaurant without sounding too suspicious, Naruto was left with a feeling of anticipated dread.

The young kunoichi began to run off in the direction of her family's store, but yelled back as an afterthought, "If you have any trouble getting ready tonight, just ask Haku for help." And with that Ino disappeared into the crowd.

Pushing the test from his mind for the time being, Naruto sighed in relief and released the henge. "Thanks guys. You saved me from another store or two." He created another shadow clone to take the bags he was carrying home and returned his attention to the two remaining members of Team Ten. Rubbing his hands together in anticipation, Naruto exclaimed, "Now let's go get some ramen!!!"

Chouji smiled affably at the blonde's enthusiasm for food while Shikamaru sighed, "How troublesome. Naruto, you are entirely too energetic."

XXXXX

The trio had placed their orders with Ayame and settled into their seats. The burst of activity from the stand's interior indicated that Ayame and her father were gearing up for the marathon entailed in feeding both Naruto and Chouji at once.

Inhaling deeply to capture the heavenly smells already emanating from the stall, Naruto inquired, "So, how did you know that it was me?"

The young Nara shrugged slightly as he responded, "Simple logic. I also know that you have been training with Ino for a couple of months."

Caught off guard by this assertion, Naruto abruptly asked, "How do you know that?"

The blonde shinobi's inquiry was nearly overridden by one from their other dining companion, "Ino has been training with Naruto?"

A glance confirmed that Chouji also wanted an explanation of his observations. "How troublesome… When we were first assigned to Team Ten, Ino harassed Chouji and I continuously to stop being lazy and to train with her. This harassment escalated into an endless series of threats, insults, attempted bribes, etc., but she was no closer to obtaining our participation. She was slowly being driven insane." A small smile appeared on Shikamaru's face as he remembered how exasperated Ino had become at their intransigence.

"After a couple of weeks, Ino stopped harassing us… at least about training… and began showing up to our morning meetings tired and sore. She was by no means exhausted, but she didn't have the excess energy to bother us anymore. It was obvious that she had found someone else to tort… train with."

At this point, the young Nara paused to thank Ayame and to take a bite of the ramen she had just delivered before he continued his explanation. "So I was sitting under the clouds one day and began to wonder who Ino had coerced into training with her. It was a random enough question as to not be too involved…"

Shrugging, the Nara continued, "So I started with what I knew about her. Ino is a bit of a self conscious about some things; so she would only feel comfortable training with someone near her own age and skill level. In addition, Ino is usually a bit standoffish with complete strangers, so her training partner would have to be someone she knew."

"Given that this happened so soon after our graduation from the academy, my initial suspects were the members of the graduating class. This group included six individuals, as Chouji and myself were eliminated. Sasuke was quickly eliminated as Ino had not been gushing about finally defeating her arch-nemesis, 'Forehead Girl'. Sakura was also eliminated for being said arch-nemesis."

Glancing over at Naruto and finding him attentive, Shikamaru continued, "Hinata and Shino are introverted and concentrate primarily on their family techniques, so they were distant possibilities, at best. In addition, a passing comment by Ino during our mission indicated that, while she had been spending more time with Hinata, the timing was not right to account for her shift in behavior. So that left you and Kiba."

Pausing to ingest some of his ramen, the Nara heir continued, "While you and Ino may not have been particularly friendly at the academy, any obstacles that may have prevented you from training together were nothing compared to what it would take for Ino to willingly spend any length of time with Kiba. The joint mission only served to emphasize this point."

Naruto was a bit confused, as he had not spent too much time observing the interactions among the rest of the class. "What does she have against Kiba?"

Chouji, having finished his first bowl of ramen, decided to contribute his observations to the conversation, "Well… you may not have been paying too much attention at the academy, but Kiba was among those that…"

Trying to be diplomatic, Chouji thought about what he wanted to say for a moment before continuing, "…regularly commented on the various attributes of the kunoichis in our class. Ino was often the subject those conversations. While she was not exactly shy about letting her displeasure about this be known, that only seemed to encourage them. They do not get along well to say the least."

Naruto nodded slowly as finished chewing his latest mouthful of noodles. "Yeah, but I don't see Ino as the type of person to let it go at that."

Chouji nodded his head as he reached for another bowl of ramen. "Well, you are right… Ino is not someone who turns the other cheek. One of the first times she used her family's techniques outside of practice was to pull a prank on Kiba. It was simple and slightly cruel, but a masterpiece ranking right up there with some of your own."

At this point, Chouji paused, both to take another bite of his ramen and to build the suspense like any storyteller worth his salt. Glancing over and seeing that he had fully captured the blonde shinobi's attention, Chouji finally revealed what happened. "She used her jutsu to march Kiba into the Konoha's commercial district wearing a sign proclaiming his willingness to have sex with big hairy men for money."

The young Akimichi chuckled heartily at the blonde's shocked expression and at the memory of Ino's rather enthusiastic recounting of her revenge. "She had intended on simply spreading some rumors about his exploits after the fact, but her revenge didn't quite go as planned… She ended up releasing the technique in shock when she was actually propositioned by someone." Chouji's chuckle shifted into outright laughter as he concluded, "Kiba returned to awareness standing in the middle of the street having a very awkward conversation."

Naruto sat there dumbfounded by the twisted and devious nature of such a prank. 'For Ino to come up with something like that…' A moment later, Naruto shuttered involuntarily when he recalled that she had tried to use the same technique on him.

Shaking off the chill that had run down his spine, Naruto returned his attention to Shikamaru. "Okay. So back to my original question… I am one of your initial suspects and Ino did not wish for my death while we were at the academy. How did you figure out we were training together?"

Shrugging in a lazy manner before pushing his empty bowl away, the shinobi in question responded, "Well… I have a couple of odd observations that assisted my analysis. First, the number of pranks being played on the villagers had nearly dropped to zero since you graduated from the academy. Second, I have been heading towards the training grounds a couple of mornings, only to see you dragging yourself in that general direction, having obviously been training already despite the early hour. In addition, there were the some odd rumors about an army of Narutos hiding in the library and your mission to the Wave Country."

Crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair, Shikamaru concluded, "You have decided to apply yourself and are obviously devoting a great deal of time and energy towards training. However, my last observation earlier today is what proved the hypothesis about you spending time with and probably training with Ino. It made the connection between the henge and you rather obvious…"

After a long pause, the blonde shinobi verbally prodded the young Nara, "And that would be…?"

"Even in the henge, you were wearing the same clothing as the times I have seen you since graduation."

"So, basically, the green jacket and a couple of random observations reminded you of the 'hypothesis' you constructed because Ino was tired a couple of months ago?"

Shrugging at Naruto's simplification, the Nara responded, "Pretty much."

Naruto suddenly felt the need to rub his temples. He was now convinced that he would never understand how Shikamaru's mind worked or why he would bother to think about such random topics. During the few conversations they had shared at the academy, Naruto had always been hard pressed to follow Shikamaru's trains of thought. Naruto simply sighed heavily before he returned his attention to his ramen.

Feeling a bit curious, Chouji inquired, "So how did you end up shopping with Ino?"

Naruto took a bite of his ramen and frowned in thought as he tried to remember exactly how he had ended up shopping with the assertive blonde kunoichi. "I am not really sure. I had to buy some new clothes for an escort mission… I mentioned this to Ino and before I knew it she was telling me to pick her up at her house in the morning and not to be late. I tried to tell her that I could do it myself, but she told me to stop being a baby and that it was for my own good."

The young Akimichi frowned in thought as he absently muttered, "That sounds rather familiar…" After a moment, Chouji looked over at Shikamaru and prodded him. "That sounds a lot like what we were talking about a couple of months ago. I think you should tell him what your dad said… It could be helpful, especially if he going to be hanging out with Ino."

Shikamaru looked questioningly at his best friend for a second before a flash of understanding passed over his face. The young Nara sighed and mumbled something about it being troublesome before he began to speak. "Naruto, a couple of months ago my father gave me a bit of helpful advice. He said that if nothing else was to be gained from his suffering, that at least his son should benefit from his experiences and have some foreknowledge of what is to come. After hearing these pearls of wisdom, I decided that I should pass this information along to my best friend and, now, I am going to share them with you."

Naruto, caught off guard by Shikamaru's serious tone, gave the young Nara his full attention, even pausing in his consumption of ramen.

Seeing that his audience was ready to absorb this hard fought wisdom, Shikamaru began, "The first piece of advice is that if a woman ever asks you if a piece of clothing makes them look fat or if she has gained weight, tell them 'No!!!'. There are far easier ways of committing suicide."

Chouji, pausing in his consumption of ramen once again, added, "My father got lucky once and only ended up sleeping on the couch for a week when he answered one of those questions wrong."

Nodding sagely at this piece of empirical data, Shikamaru continued, "The second is that if a woman ever starts to question your maturity, bravery, or manhood, do not respond impetuously as they have run out of logical arguments and need to evoke an emotional reaction."

"The third is to avoid groups of three or more women as they are usually up to no good and develop a weird hive mentality where everything wrong with the world becomes a guy's fault. The safest course of action is to be as far from such groups as possible to avoid becoming their scapegoat, sacrificial lamb, or pet project."

"The forth and final piece of advice is that if you ever hear a woman use the words 'it'll be fun' or 'it's for your own good', run in the other direction."

Naruto looked thoughtful as he absorbed what Shikamaru had said. Despite the advice, Naruto questioned the wisdom of following it. For instance, Ino would simply have hunted him down and dragged him shopping if he had tried to escape after she said 'it's for you own good.'

XXXXX

Naruto was, to say the least, nervous. He tried to sit on the couch as he waited for the appointed time when he would leave his apartment and begin his 'test', but found that he could not find a comfortable position.

Fidgeting from his place by the window, the blonde shinobi found himself glancing between the front door of his apartment and the clock. Thoughts of escaping the upcoming test crossed his mind, but the blonde shinobi knew that such an action would only disappoint and/or anger the girls. Plus there was very little chance the he could escape them.

One had successfully masqueraded as a hunter nin for a number of years and lived across the hall. Another possessed the ability to see through most solid objects. And the final girl possessed one of the most sinister minds he had ever heard about. Just the thought of the prank she had played on Kiba caused him to shiver again. They would find him. It was inevitable. And when they did, Naruto was certain that Ino would ensure that he would never do it again.

Instead of contemplating the various evasion tactics he could employ, Naruto wiped the sweat forming on his brow and continued to wait impatiently.

Looking out the window and playing with his thumbs did little to settle his nerves. It wasn't long before Naruto had to stop himself from was fidgeting with the collar of his kimono once again. After what seemed like an eternity, the blonde shinobi exited his apartment and walked across the hall to Haku's door. He absently knocked on the door, adjusting the collar one last time before finally giving it up as a lost cause. Naruto's mental ramblings ground to a halt when Haku's front door opened silently.

Naruto, needlessly straightening his clothes, inquired, "Are you re…?" The words died in his throat as he took in her appearance.

Haku was no stranger to 'feminine' arts, despite having been raised by a bloodthirsty missing nin. She might have been a kunoichi accustomed to spending weeks living in the roughest conditions, but she was still a woman and could appreciate the finer things is life. She remembered many of the lessons she had been taught by her mother and had learned quite a bit as she grew up infiltrating various villages and towns.

Haku had selected a dark blue kimono adorned with pale pink sakura petals for the evening. The dark coloring of the kimono gave her pale skin a luminescent quality that was complimented by a light application of makeup. Her deep brown eyes and her ebony hair seemed to shine in the light. The overall effect was simple breath taking.

Haku repressed a small smile at seeing the blonde's reaction to her. She was tempted to tease him a bit… a slight shift in her pose and husky 'Like what you see?' came to mind, but she repressed this urge. "Shall we?" she asked.

Naruto, failing to register what she had asked, responded, "You look beautiful."

That type of response warmed her more than she could express. Such reactions were so abrupt that she had little doubt that they were heartfelt and honest.

She graced him with a dazzling smile in response to his comment, but it took another moment for him to realize that he had verbalized his thoughts. It was most amusing to watch the shifts in his body language as his thoughts caught up with what he had said.

Naruto cleared his throat in order to cover his embarrassment, but that did not stop his face from flushing at his verbal slip. "Err, right, I'm ready to go."

She canted her head slightly in acknowledgment before adding in a teasing yet somehow seductive tone, "Thank you for the compliment, Naruto-kun. You look rather dashing yourself." Naruto's blush intensified at the kunoichi's comment.

XXXXX

The young Yamanaka had taken a great deal of time getting ready for dinner. She really couldn't help it as whenever she walked in front of a mirror, she became preoccupied with the visible changes to her body. While they had been subtle at first, the changes seemed to have accelerated in recent weeks. While she had never been unhealthy, per se, her body had been rather frail just after graduation.

Overall, her new training regimen and improved diet had conspired to transform her body into what could be called athletically slim as opposed to unhealthy. Instead of bulky muscles, the exercises and weights had given her body a tone and definition that she simply couldn't stop looking at.

The young woman was even more pleased to note that, since she had abandoned her diet, the increased caloric intake was allowing her body to finally develop some of the curves she had always envied in others. Glancing at how her kimono accentuated these new curves, Ino thought, 'I wonder why I ever complained about gaining weight to my friends.'

Ino's thoughts were broken by a knock at the bathroom door. Her mother's voice soon followed. "Come on, Ino. Your friends are waiting downstairs."

"Coming, Mom…" After double checking her low ponytail, taking particular care to insure that all the blonde strands were contained, and straightening her kimono one last time, the young Yamanaka thought with a smile, 'This is going to be fun.' With one last glance in the mirror, she opened her door and headed downstairs.

Ino descended the stairs and found Haku sitting quietly on the couch, while Naruto and her dad were talking quietly across the room. Ino was about to berate the pair for excluding Haku, but her observations of their conversation caught her off guard.

Her mother had obviously made the same observations as she inquired, "Inoichi, just what do you think you are doing?"

The blonde jounin turned towards his wife, crossing his arms across his chest. "My job." The statement had been delivered with a level of certainty; as if those two words unequivocally explained his actions.

Hoping that her overly protective father hadn't embarrassed her too much, Ino asked, "And what is your job, exactly?"

Naruto, wisely keeping his mouth shut, slipped away from the jounin and wondered over towards Haku, acting the whole time as if he was temporarily deaf. The young shinobi could tell by Ino's tone that this conversation would not end well.

"My job as your father," Inoichi elaborated unhelpfully.

"Dad, what are you talking about?" Ino asked in exasperation.

Inoichi seemed to straighten as he continued with his explanation. "It's the job of all fathers to give the guys who are interested in their daughters a hard time. The simple truth of the matter is that they are all sex-crazed fiends. I'm simply protecting my daughter's virtue from this collection of raging hormones." This last sentence was completed with a hand gesture in Naruto's general direction.

Naruto himself was now simply staring at the jounin with a completely dumbfounded expression. Inoichi recrossed his arms for emphasis as he concluded, "It's the duty of every father to protect their daughters from them."

Ino's face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. She couldn't believe that her father would take his over protective nature this far, and in front of her friends no less. "Dad!!! Naruto is not 'interested' in me! We are simply going out to dinner as FRIENDS. Hinata, Haku, and I have invested a lot of time over the past week into Naruto's training and we are going to see how much has stuck. And even…" Thankfully, Kami showed a surprising amount of benevolence towards a certain blonde shinobi by disrupting the discussion with a tentative knock at the door.

Naruto sighed audibly as Hinata's arrival served to end the rather awkward argument. The young shinobi guessed from Ino's muttering as they prepared to leave that the conversation had simply been tabled for the time being. 'Hopefully I will be out of the village before they resume.'

The door had barely closed when Honshu rounded on her husband and hissed, "There is no reason for you to be torturing poor Naruto. He didn't do anything wrong."

Slightly indignant that his wife apparently didn't see the necessity of his actions, Inoichi responded, "He is a teenage boy and he is taking my little girl out to dinner."

Honshu snorted disdainfully as her husband's indignation. "They also happen to be going out with two other girls. It is perfectly innocent… And even if it wasn't, would you rather that her every waking thought was about the Uchiha boy?"

"No…" Since his wife had brought it up a couple of weeks ago, the jounin had been pleased to note that Ino hadn't even mentioned the sullen boy in his presence. Inoichi smiled a bit as he thought, 'Maybe she really is over her obsession with the emo-teme…' The fact that he had unconsciously adopted Naruto's nomenclature for the Konoha genin from when the Yamanakas had roped him into dinner escaped his notice.

His happiness decreased when he realized that, over the past couple of months, Ino had only talked about three boys: Shikamaru, Chouji, and Naruto. The jounin had long ago accepted that the Ino saw the children of his two best friends as siblings. 'That leaves Naruto…'

As if reading his thoughts, Honshu continued, "So, if Naruto is preferable to the Uchiha boy, what is your problem?"

Feeling slight defensive, Inoichi responded, "They are just too young to even be thinking about anything like that."

Honshu simply smiled, knowing that the next exchange would conclusively finish this pseudo-argument. 'How soon they forget…' Without her saying another word, Inoichi knew that he had just lost the argument. He wasn't exactly sure how, but he was all too familiar with the smirk his wife was wearing to believe otherwise.

Modulating her tone in a casual fashion, Honshu inquired, "Do you realize Ino is only a couple months younger than you were when we started dating? And as I recall you had dated a couple of girls before we got together." Having him on the ropes, Honshu decided to curtail any future comments he may have about age when Ino decided to date. "Of course, we only dated for a little over four months before you proposed."

It was a widely known fact that shinobi fell into two categories. Either they would pursue serious relationships or avoid them like the plague. For those that did pursue relationships, they tended to marry young. While civilians could spend years dating and getting to know each other, shinobi seemed to view such uncertainty and hesitation with distain. It was an interesting trend that Inoichi had observed over the years, both in close friends and distant acquaintances. He had even fallen victim to the trend himself.

Perhaps it came from a profession that required making life and death decisions everyday. Perhaps it was that ninja were confronted with their own mortality far earlier in life than most civilians. The distinct possibility of death on virtually any mission creates an interesting perspective on time and delayed gratification. If something makes sense, why wait? If something is obviously not going to work out, why drag it out?

Still feeling the need to argue, Inoichi responded, "I was not in control of my actions… I was seduced by an older woman."

"Seduced?!?! Older!!! I am only ten months older than you and, as I recall, you were stalking me in the first part of our relationship. You are lucky that Dad didn't file a compliant with the Hokage for the amount of time you were hanging around the shop."

Honshu couldn't help but notice the slight flush her husband acquired at the remark. Despite the intervening years of marriage, Inoichi still felt some embarrassment about how he had acted in the first days of their relationship. In all honesty, Honshu knew it was a bit of a low blow, but he had it coming after the age comment. She also didn't want her over protective husband to intervene too much in Ino's love life.

Having made her point, Honshu decided to return to their original topic. "Despite Ino's protests, it is obvious that she has some feelings for him… and I think it would be fair to say that the opposite is also possible. While it could turn out to be nothing, do you have an issue with Naruto?"

Feeling somewhat petulant since his wife had brought THAT up, the jounin responded, "I am the father of a teenage girl. It's my job to intimidate, torture, and perhaps even kill any boy that comes calling on her."

Slightly exasperated, Honshu huffed, "He didn't come 'calling' on her. The girls are practically forcing him to go out at kunai point." Modulating her voice slight, the blonde woman continued, "I know that before this most recent incident that you liked him." She closed the intervening distance and gave his arm a squeeze. "I think you are going to have to make this up to him."

In truth, Inoichi really didn't mind Naruto. He was a good kid. But, given the evolving circumstances, it would go against his paternal nature to ever admit it. Sighing in defeat, Inoichi inquired, "How?"

Smiling softly at the unspoken capitulation, Honshu responded, "It is starting to get warmer. After he gets back from his mission, you can have one of your cookouts with your friends. Just be sure that Naruto is invited and all will be forgiven." Shifting to wrap her arms around his waste, Honshu concluded, "I think that the gesture would mean quite a bit to him."

XXXXX

Walking through the crowd, Naruto noticed a number of people staring at them. Many whispered or pointed, thinking they wouldn't be noticed or simply not caring if they were. While the attention didn't seem overly hostile, it was beginning to get under his skin. Naruto was becoming a bit agitated when there was a slight increase in the pressure on his arm.

He looked towards Hinata as she glided along beside him, her hand resting gently in the crook of his arm. She was the very picture of poise as she ignored the gawking villagers. She couldn't have missed all the attention, but she didn't appear to care. The set of her chin and the serene look on her face gave every indication of confidence. A small smile appeared on his face as the blonde shinobi attempted to follow her example and push the minor irritations out of his mind.

Hinata felt as if she was floating on air, unable to think of the last time she had felt like this. She felt happy, ecstatic even, and yet she was able to project a relaxed air. Despite knowing that she was simply walking with Naruto towards a practice dinner, she couldn't help but imagine how a real date would play out.

The fact that this was a friendly dinner and that Haku and Ino were only a few steps behind them gave her a certain amount of confidence. A small, panicky giggle nearly escaped the young Hyuuga as she imagined the nervous anticipation she would feeling if this was a real date… a real date with the distinct possibility of a kiss to be shared at the end of the evening.

Pushing these thoughts aside, the young heiress felt Naruto tense a little as they walked down the street. It was clear that the gawking stares and audible whispers of the villagers were unsettling him.

Although she kept looking forward with a passive expression, she was very cognizant of her surroundings. Throughout their walk towards the restaurant, she had been discreetly watching the villagers' reactions to them. The young heiress was somewhat heartened to observe the looks of confusion and curiosity rather than contempt.

On the whole, they were of a very different nature form the looks Naruto usually received in this part of the village. She gave a reassuring squeeze to Naruto's arm all the same, trying to be supportive. It pleased her to offer him this small comfort after all he had done for her.

It had always bothered her that others could judge him when they did not even know anything about him. It was part of the most distressing puzzle she had ever come across, one that seemed destined to remain unresolved. How he managed to remain as cheerful as he was while being burdened by the obvious contempt demonstrated by the villagers' actions was beyond her. The watchful eyes and hushed voices didn't stop until they reached the small restaurant.

Naruto, remembering the girls' instructions, moved to hold the door open for them as they reached their destination. Walking in behind them, the atmosphere appeared much more comfortable than the streets outside.

Though not very big, the restaurant had what Hinata called 'ambience'… If 'ambience' meant dark and private then the place fit the bill. As they passed through the doorway, Naruto's eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. The entrance itself was very ornate, with expensive looking silk screens and other decorations accenting the waiting area. The young shinobi found the restaurant to be very intimidating, especially since his only experience with restaurants related to roadside stands.

Naruto glanced past the host to observe the restaurant beyond. Candles burned in small paper lanterns on the tables, soft music played in the background, and the various meals emitted a variety of pleasant smells. The final observation was that, while the people appeared to be enjoying themselves, the place wasn't very crowded.

Naruto gave a sigh of relief as this fact suited the blonde shinobi just fine. He did not want a lot of people glaring at him or the three girls while they enjoyed their dinner. He still wasn't quite sure that they would be able to eat here, as he had never had a great deal of luck with the restaurants of Konoha.

Naruto watched with a bit of dread as Ino had approached the host, who stood behind a small reception. Something in the man's manner told Naruto that this would not end well. "Welcome." His nasally voice seemed drew out the greeting into an insult.

Ino nodded in response to the greeting before she began, "We have a reservation."

"Under what name?" He began to scan the list carelessly.

"Yamanaka Ino, party of four." He didn't bother looking to confirm the name before he responded, "I am sorry but we are unable to honor the reservation."

As soon as the words had been spoken, Naruto felt an embarrassed blush surface of his skin. He should have known that things would end like this. But Ino had insisted that he needed some experience and had ignored his protestations about how this would end.

He pushed away this vulnerable feeling and prepared himself for the events unfolding before him. While he would normally not fight being evicted from stores and restaurants that refused him service, he would be damned if anyone even attempted to touch one of the girls.

Ino's voice clearly transmitted her confusion. "What? But I confirmed the reservation earlier today."

"I am sorry, but you did not identify who would be joining you. This restaurant has standards and your guest is simply… unsuitable." The sneer that the man directed at Naruto left little doubt as to whom he was referring to.

Ino was caught flat-footed, looking around as she tried to deal with this unaccustomed level of hostility. She had eaten at this restaurant several times with her family and had never had any difficulties. "But…"

The man straightened to his full, but unimpressive, height as the uppity manner he was already radiating seemed to intensify. "I am sorry, but you are going to have to leave or I will be forced to call the authorities."

Hinata, who had been watching the scene unfold before her in a shocked silence, had had enough. The normally timid girl stepped forward, drawing the host's attention. "That is a shame. I will inform my father at once that Hyuuga Clan and our guests are no longer welcome at your establishment." Bowing ever so slightly, Hinata continued, "We are sorry to have troubled you. Please have a pleasant evening."

Naruto was shocked to hear the normally soft-spoken Hinata speak in such a clipped and assertive manner. While the words themselves were polite, the manner with which they had been delivered had been anything but. The best word that Naruto could come up with to describe it was disdainful.

In addition to the tone, Naruto was quite pleased with himself for noticing the veiled declaration embedded in Hinata's speech… She had obtusely declared that the insult that had been leveled today would not pass without reprisal.

Not having a clue about what Hinata or any Hyuuga could do to the restaurant, the young shinobi realized that he still had a lot to learn about the more subtle uses of a clan's power. Shaking his head in wonder, the young Kazama heir made to follow Hinata's departing form. Before Naruto had taken more than two steps, he felt a middle age man, who had been approaching from within the restaurant, attempt to move past him and towards Hinata.

Less than a second passed before Naruto had the man pinned to the wall of the entryway, his feet scrabbling a bit as they lost contact with the floor. The blonde shinobi felt a small burst of satisfaction as already panicking man appeared to pale even further at this turn of events.

"I hope that you were not attempting to bother Hinata-chan. Because if you were…" Naruto was not in a good mood and his ominous tone of voice betrayed this fact. These bastards had embarrassed him tonight and that was not something the young shinobi would forget anytime soon.

Hinata's voice broke him from his revelry. "Naruto-kun, that is not necessary. Despite our treatment here, I am sure that he is not quite that unintelligent." Naruto noted that Hinata's tone still possessed the same honeyed venom of her earlier statements.

"No! I did not mean Hyuuga-sama any harm! I simply intended to apologize for the reprehensible manner in which you have been treated this evening. I am the owner of this restaurant and I am simply appalled by what I overheard. The host will be terminated at once."

During the man's explanation, Naruto had released him from the wall and had taken a step back. The middle aged man bowed deeply towards the assembled group as he begged, "Please stay and allow me to properly express my regret that such a scene took place within my restaurant." An awkward moment stretched on as the middle aged man remained bowed, awaiting Hinata's decision.

Haku, who had been eerily silent up to this point, offered, "It would be a shame to allow this evening to end on such a sour note."

Hinata nodded in ascent and manager rose from his bow, his relief almost palpable in his body language. Naruto waved for the three girls to precede him as he watched the shell shocked host open and close his mouth in astonishment. Instead smirking at the man vindictively, Naruto dismissed the man from his thoughts as he scanned the interior of the restaurant suspiciously. While there had been a pause in the murmured conversations, Naruto was surprised to note that none of the guests made to leave upon seeing him.

After they were seated, the blonde shinobi found himself almost scared to look at the girls. Would they be irritated with him for nearly causing them to be thrown out of the restaurant? Would they be angry at him for pinning the owner to the wall? 'Some student I turned out to be…' Naruto opened his menu to avoid the condemnation he assumed would be reflected in their eyes.

He sighed a moment later as he only recognized a few of the dishes on the menu. He glanced around in slightly subversive manner and found the girls gazing down at their own menus. They all seemed comfortable with the choices and so Naruto shifted nervously as he resumed his attempt to decipher the menu's contents. 'Why can't this place just serve ramen? It is the perfect meal…'

Hinata's voice broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled over their table. "Do you know what you want, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto opened his mouth to lie then sighed once again. "Not a clue."

"Then let us take a look over the menu." The young Yamanaka watched in silent astonishment as Hinata took Naruto in hand. She couldn't help but marvel a bit as the normally shy girl began to engage in a very subtle form of flirtation. The body language was unmistakable and appeared to have been taken directly from some of the kunoichi classes they had attended at the academy. Hinata shifted next to Naruto so that they knelt shoulder to shoulder. Her left hand rested on Naruto's shoulder as she softly described some of dishes served by the restaurant.

The truly inspired nature of the distraction came into play when the swell of the young Hyuuga's bust would gently brush against the blonde's bicep as she occasionally pointed to something on the menu with her other hand.

The blonde kunoichi could only watch in stunned fascination as this subtle and obviously intentional contact caused the blonde shinobi to flush quite a bit. The byplay was relatively blatant, but it served its purpose. Naruto was so aware of the girl sitting beside him, that the scene at the entrance seemed to fade from his thoughts.

The kunoichi's own thoughts flashed back to the scene. The reaction was so striking that it was taking some time to process. 'It wasn't anger… It was scorn or a virulent form of disgust. Why? I have come here several times with my parents and the staff has always been pleasant and helpful. Why would the host react to Naruto in such a manner? And why would the owner understand such a reaction immediately?'

Ino's mind began searching for comparable instances and instantly seized upon Naruto's habit of shopping in disguise. 'Would the stores treat him the same if he didn't hide behind the henge? This goes far beyond a couple of pranks… And if he is disguising himself, then he probably knows… But why does he keep it a secret?'

Normally, Ino would obstinately insist on knowing Naruto's secret and his reasons for all the subterfuge. But, having observed Naruto's nervous and uncomfortable glances as he sat across from her, she could not bring herself to confront him. 'Just when I think that I have him figured out, he goes and reveals another layer… I really am going soft.' Smiling softly as she shook her head, she decided to interject her own opinions and preferences into Hinata's explanation of the menu.

During the meal, Ino continued to watch in awed fascination as Hinata kept a close eye on Naruto, subtly helping him out with some minor details. Based on previous discussions and the reaction he received from the host, she was fairly certain that Naruto had never been to a restaurant in his life, with the obvious exception of Ichiraku's. As the meal progressed, she couldn't miss the palpable gratitude in his eyes for Hinata's assistance.

XXXXX

The Hyuuga heiress padded silently along the smooth, varnished halls that led to her rooms, lost in thought. The evening had taken a very different course than she had expected. In all honesty, Hinata could barely believe the events that had come to pass over the past couple of hours.

Instead of a pleasant evening of quiet conversation and fanciful dreams of what it would be like if she was able to pursue Naruto-kun romantically, she had been forced by circumstances to act in a wholly unnatural manner. There had been no other choice… Naruto had been momentarily stricken before his emotions had simply vanished behind an indifferent mask. Ino had been undeniably shocked into inaction. Haku had silently watched throughout the incident, lost in her own thoughts. This had left her to support her Naruto-kun.

Seeing the emotions drain from his face had called to her on a primal level. She simply had to protect him. There had been no backing down… There had been no escape into unconsciousness. It seemed as if she had been channeling her father. Rarely direct in his comments, Hinata had long ago realized that her father had a way of obtusely communicating his distain with practiced ease.

Her deft fingers absently loosened the sash securing her kimono before she began the shed the layers of fabric that encased her body. Despite the unease she had felt at her brash behavior, she was proud of herself. She had been strong. She had supported her friend. She had kept her promise to do what she could to ensure Naruto's happiness.

Setting the clothes aside with care, she crossed the room to grab a pair of pajamas. Shivering slightly as the fine silk slid over her skin, Hinata wondered once again how Naruto could be so cheerful when his burdens were so great. Resolving to find a way to make life more difficult for those businesses that abused the blonde shinobi, the young heiress settled into her futon and closed her eyes.

A/N

While I enjoy writing the Inoichi/Honshu scenes that I have scattered throughout the story, I think that Shikamaru and Chouji made this chapter. As for the main characters… Naruto reacts to the mission and the girls, Ino is in a strange middle ground between denial and acceptance, Haku is moving forward, and Hinata ends up rationalizing her actions. Overall, I think it flowed pretty well.

Next Chapter: Wanderings in Fire Country

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	14. Chapter 14

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 14: Wanderings in Fire Country

The continuous creak of the baggage cart as it rumbled down the road served to monotonously accentuate Naruto's extreme boredom. For all the preparations he had undertaken and endured over the week preceding this assignment, the escort mission itself was turning out to be a considerable disappointment.

The mission itself had not encountered any problems or difficulties. Now on the second day of its journey, the royal party and its escort made steady progress towards Fire Country's western border with a number of stops along the way. The trip had been proceeding quite well with a few obvious exceptions… Namely Team Seven having been shunted aside and relegated to guarding the aforementioned baggage cart.

As the tour was confined to the borders of Fire Country, Konoha's participation in the escort mission was more of a precaution than a necessity… an unnecessary precaution according to the guard commander. The commander of the guard seemed to take their presence to be a personal insult and had not been shy in expressing his general loathing for Team Seven.

Kakashi had privately explained that many of the Daimyo's guards and his samurai retainers saw the royal family's personal safety as their purview. Ninja, even those from Konoha, were viewed by these individuals with general distain and mistrust, which seemed to be derived from their views on a ninja's mercenary lifestyle. While Konoha had proven its loyalty and value to the royal court in a number of situations, both large and small, this almost instinctive distrust persisted.

Despite this distrust, the samurai were generally willing and able to ignore their ninja counterparts on a day-to-day basis as the standing guard of two ANBU teams at the Daimyo's disposal tended to remain hidden from common view. Team Seven was simply a bit more difficult to ignore.

As for this specific mission, a unit of the Daimyo's personal guard, consisting of twenty guards, the unit's samurai commander, and a senior samurai that appeared to be some sort of observer, had been assigned to escort the Fire Lord's wife and his youngest daughter on a goodwill tour of Fire Country and a discreet diplomatic meeting. The fact that ninja, let alone a green genin team, had been assigned to supplement his more than adequate guard angered the samurai commander a great deal. As such, he had absolutely no qualms or regrets with assigning the ninja a task that would keep them out of sight and out of his hair.

As this was Naruto's first time having had any contact with actual samurai, the blonde shinobi was a bit curious. The fact that the samurai commander was a conceited jerk had done little to dampened Naruto's desire to learn more about them. Superficially, they appeared much as he had expected, clad in traditional armor and carrying the traditional blades of their order. The members of the guard were in fairly good shape from what Naruto could tell as they easily managed to keep pace with the carriage carrying the protectees.

Whenever the mission permitted, Naruto had observed the senior samurai with a mixture of curiosity and fascination. Hokage-jiji had said that fully trained samurai were capable of enveloping themselves in a cocoon disruptive to chakra that would nullify genjutsu and severely weaken ninjutsu. They were also skilled enough with a sword to give pause to even the most skilled taijutsu users.

Even Kakashi-sensei's and Sasuke-teme's sharingan would be near useless against a prepared samurai, as the chakra field and their chakra absorptive armor would severely weaken their ability to predict movement. It was a bit intimidating that the armored warriors seemed to possess the perfect counter to just about every shinobi technique.

The only silver lining in the equation is that, much as few ninja have the skills and the dedication to advance to jounin, few samurai ever advance to the level of master. Samurai trained for years to hone their weapon skills and their physical stamina. Master samurai were, by definition, the absolute masters of their craft; their training having an even higher failure rate than ninja training. Even without their chakra negation techniques, a samurai was still an almost tireless master swordsman equipped with a number of sword-based techniques similar to jutsu. In short, they were not opponents to be taken lightly.

XXXXX

A short distance ahead of the royal procession, the forest gave way to a small clearing that straddled the road. High grass swayed gently in a breeze for fifteen paces to each side of the road before it reentered the dappled shadows of the forest. While everything appeared peaceful and quiet, a closer examination of this clearing would have revealed the dull gleam of several strands of nearly invisible wire that crisscrossed the road between two sturdy trees.

The procession entered this clearing at a rapid pace, the commander seeing little point in wasting time plodding through the countryside when it would be far more impressive to deliver the Daimyo's wife and daughter to their hotel ahead of schedule. The commander's haste and failure to address the most basic principals of convoy defense would prove to be a fatal mistake.

The wire strands had been set up in such a way as to trip the first two horses in the carriage's team and decapitate them as they fell forward. While the wire didn't quite succeed in this regard, it fulfilled the intention of disabling the team admirably. The other horses in the carriage's team attempted to bolt as smell of blood washed over them. Other aspects of the ambush ensured that they didn't get far.

The forest surrounding the clearing instantly disgorged a flight of arrows and crossbow quarrels towards the royal escort. This attack coincided with a series of concussive explosions that ranged across the clearing, which further spooked the remaining horses and knocked several of the guards to the ground. Smoke and confusion reigned throughout the clearing that had been serene only seconds before.

The echoing thrum of the explosives had not even faded when a second flight of projectiles flew into the staggered and disoriented guards. A heavier, cracking sound and an impact that shook the ground signaled the falling of a tree across the road they had just passed.

A third flight of projectiles assaulted the group before an eerie stillness settled over the clearing. Master Yosho, who had had been a whirlwind of steel, deflecting both explosives and crossbow bolts from the royal carriage, calmly took stock of the situation despite the ringing in his ears.

His assignments throughout his years of service to the royal family had varied a great deal. He had been cast in the role of enforcer and executioner as well as guardian and protector. In his current assignment, he had been assigned to the royal escort, not at the commander or even a bodyguard, but as an observer assigned the task of evaluating the performance of an arrogant trainee. The task was especially irritating to the older man as practice dictated that he act solely as a spectator, allowing the trainee total control of the mission and free reign to screw up in just about every possible way.

Takakashi Hirohi, the particular moron he had been sent to watch, was somehow related to a powerful clan in southern Fire Country and had managed to parley that relationship into this assignment. Yosho's views on nepotism in the military had only been strengthened as he watched the inbred pimple screw things up from the very beginning of the mission. He managed to irritate the royal family by delaying the escort's departure. He managed to insult the men under his command by dressing some of them down before the royal family. He created further dissention by choosing to make the journey mounted, despite custom. The idiot's most obvious, and now perhaps fatal, blunder was to forgo the scouting patrols in favor a consolidated show of force.

Now, circumstances and the trainee's incompetence had turned what should have been a rather monotonous assignment into a dangerous situation for members of the royal family. About half the guard appeared to be seriously injured, with several of their number clutching their ears due to the concussive explosives. The mounted bastard himself appeared to be dead or unconscious, pinned beneath his motionless horse with at least one bolt imbedded in his worthless hide. Yosho absently noted that the warm liquid seeping from his own ear indicated that he had not escaped the ambush's initial shock without injury.

A voice with a cultured accent called out from the forest. "Surrender the passengers and we may let some of you live."

Yosho grimaced slightly as he managed to make out the leader's demands despite his injuries. 'They aren't willing to risk further fighting… Kidnapping… Whether happenstance or politically motivated, it is a well-planned ambush. The carriage's horses have been disabled and most of the guards are injured and disoriented. The coach is trapped and surrounded on both sides by an unknown number of assailants armed with explosives and crossbows.'

With the royal family in the carriage, he was tied to a single point of defense, totally lacking cover, while his opponent retained both freedom of movement and the enviable cover of the old growth forest. Even maintaining a standoff wasn't an option as he was unable to defend both sides of the carriage at once and he was uncertain if the other guards were in any shape to assist him in doing so. Although the royal coach was sturdy enough to withstand the arrows and quarrels, he was not sure it could handle another volley of explosives, especially if the bandits were carrying anything stronger than what they had used. In summary, his tactical situation sucked like hell.

While he was far from helpless, he options were limited. Over two decades as a samurai had left him with a good number of techniques that would take care of the bandits before him. The most certain technique in his arsenal for this purpose was Judgment's Blade, a wide area attack that would substantially reduce the old growth forest before him to kindling for about the one hundred feet from the tree line.

The problem with the technique is that it would leave him vulnerable for about four seconds. While seemingly an insignificant amount of time, on a battlefield it was nearly an eternity. There was also some doubt as to whether the bandits stationed on the other side of the carriage would bolt in response to the technique or attempt to destroy the carriage in blind panic.

The decision was further complicated by the fact that he was uncertain of the guards' situation on the other side of the carriage. The guards that were visible to him were not in good shape and it would be risky to entrust the royal family's safety to a bunch of injured, inexperienced kids.

'Screw custom and screw that insufferable Takakashi. Dead or alive, I am going flay his hide if even one of the princess's hairs in out of place.'

Just as he was preparing to unleash one of his most powerful techniques and hope for the best, a voice called from the baggage carriage. "Master Yosho, while I am sure that your men are more than capable of handling this situation, perhaps we could be of some assistance."

Yosho restrained himself from looking towards the baggage cart in surprise as he continued to eye the surrounding forest for movement. If he was perfectly honest with himself, he had, in the heat of the moment, forgotten about the shinobi team that the Daimyo had requested. Ordering them to guard the baggage and not to interfere with the escort in any way had been one of Takakashi's most blatant screw-ups. While Yosho had no love for shinobi, long years of service both in times of peace and war had taught him that they did have their uses.

'And while they are only a genin team, they do have a fairly experienced jounin as an instructor… If nothing else they will provide a distraction and buy me some time to come up with a better plan.'

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Yosho couldn't help the crooked humorless smile that appeared on his face as he eyed the surrounding woods. "Your assistance would be appreciated, Hatake-san."

Nodding absently in acknowledgement, Kakashi ordered, "Naruto, please take care of this. Sasuke, Sakura, guard the carriage."

With only a second's hesitation, Naruto leapt off the baggage carriage and appeared in front of the samurai, the slight bounce in his stance betraying his excitement.

From within the woods, the assumed bandit leader laughed loudly before continuing, "Do you hear that, guys? This kid is going to 'take care' of us."

A wave of muted chuckles from the concealed band greeted the comment before the leader continued, "I think that second-rate porn you were reading earlier has rotted your brain. Now, surrender the passengers and any valuables and no one else will be hurt."

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly at the insult to his literature. The comment also proved that either they had been under surveillance or that there was a traitor in their ranks. The experienced jounin decided to simply focus on the matter at hand as he added, "Try to leave some survivors for questioning. But the primary goal is to ensure that our clients are not harmed."

Naruto, giving a slight nod in acknowledgement, decided to not take any chances as he unleashed the techniques he had been contemplating. With an explosion of earth, the clearing was filled with over one hundred Iwa Bunshins and a number of Kage Bunshins. The fight that followed was short, brutal, and bloody.

The Iwa Bunshins had barely cleared the ground as the Kage Bunshins unleashed barrages of Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu and Kage Shuriken into the encircling tree line. The forest clearing quickly filled with smoke and screams of intense agony as a ripple of secondary explosions indicated that the bandits had been armed with additional explosives. Those bandits that did not fall to the initial ninjutsu barrage, were stabbed, cut, and sliced by a rush of kunai wielding Iwa Bunshins.

While a couple of the bunshins fell as they were peppered with heavy crossbow bolts, the stone sentinels managed kill most of the bandits within the first twenty seconds of engaging them. The Kage Bunshins, who had fallen back to surround the carriage, continued to bombard the forest in support of the attacking Iwa Bunshins.

The bandits' screams hadn't even died down when a bark of laughter escaped from the battle hardened samurai. The man's deep resonating voice offered, "I like your style, gaki."

XXXXX

'The ambush was well thought out. Close to a major crossroad… A little under two days to the coast… With the simple foresight of having a ship ready to spirit the captives away or a secret way to cross the border, a simple escort mission could have resulted in one of the most serious diplomatic incidents in Fire Country's history. And, while the bandits may have overestimated the effect of their explosives, overall, their plan had been very solid. Of course, I would have put a couple more volleys of quarrels and explosives into the samurai before I began negotiations.'

Mentally shaking himself for his last thought, Kakashi continued, 'Despite the plan, it wouldn't have even been an issue if the samurai commander had allowed us to scout ahead.'

Mentally turning over his decision to hold his team back from the initial ambush, the perpetually late jounin reflected, 'While it may have been a small bit of vindictiveness, it was not petty… The commander's orders had been explicit… We were not to move from guarding the baggage cart without explicit permission… I wouldn't have put it passed the bastard to injure or even 'accidentally' kill one of my team and later claim that it had all be a grave mistake on our part since we had disobeyed a direct order.'

"Why the hell did you let Naruto handle the fighting? I could have taken care of the bandits myself." Kakashi, turning a page in his book as he led his team away from the village inn, sighed heavily as Sasuke finally unleashed the tirade that had been building all day. 'At least he waited until after we reached our destination for the day… Probably did not want to look like a petulant child in front of our clients… It is odd how he doesn't mind looking like an idiot in front of me or his teammates.'

Kakashi eventually responded, "Really? And how would you have handled approximately seventy bandits, who were armed with crossbows, explosives, and swords, all at once and still mange to protect our clients?"

Not waiting for a response, Kakashi snapped his book shut and turned to face his team now that they were a sufficient distance from the inn to gain a modicum of privacy. The set of his visible eye was stern as he surveyed each of his genin for a moment before he continued. "Well? Our instructions prevented us from scouting ahead and, because of the guard commander's stupidity, we waltzed straight into a well-prepared ambush. That doesn't change the fact that a well-armed force that had superior cover surrounded our clients with explosives and other weapons ready for use. How would you have 'taken care' of them by yourself?"

Not expecting an answer to the obviously rhetorical question, the jounin continued, "We are a team… We succeed as a TEAM or fail as a TEAM." Taking a second to reign in some of the more scathing comments that bubbled through his mind, Kakashi asked, "Have any of you really ever put any thought into what type of team we are?"

Observing the latent hostility in Sasuke's continence, the petulant pout in Sakura's, and the genuine curiosity in Naruto's, Kakashi continued, "Let us look towards your fellow rookies. Team Eight is obviously a tracking and reconnaissance team, relying on the tracking abilities of the Inuzuka, the reconnaissance abilities of the Hyuuga and Aburame clans, and the support of one of Konoha's preeminent genjutsu specialists. Team Ten's talents lend themselves to infiltration, intelligence gathering, and assassination. The unique jutsus and abilities of the Nara and Yamanaka clans are balanced with the brute force of the Akimichi and Sarutobi. What is our specialty? What is our strength?"

Sasuke's and Sakura's continences lost some of their hostility as the jounin allowed them to think about it for a bit. As the question had been rhetorical on the jounin's part, Kakashi continued, "We are an assault team. The typical three man assault team consists of two ninjutsu and/or taijutsu specialists and one genjutsu/support specialist. The two ninjutsu specialists are combat oriented, generally specializing to suit their strengths. The support specialist generally supports the others through the use of genjutsu, medical jutsu, and limited long-range attacks."

"While we are still training and specializing, the three of you are clearly falling into these roles. Having me assigned to this team as your jounin instructor also fits this classification due to my expertise in ninjutsu."

Addressing the resident blonde, the jounin emphasized, "Naruto, you are, obviously, a ninjutsu specialist. Your large chakra reserves and knowledge of Bunshin techniques contribute to the strength of your role."

Shifting his attention to the team's sole kunoichi, Kakashi continued, "Sakura, you are our support specialist. As your chakra stamina improves, you will learn more advanced genjutsu techniques and the basics of medical jutsu. This will enable you to support the team, whether in combat situations or should one of us become injured."

Focusing lastly on the Uchiha survivor, Kakashi decided to placate the stubborn genin's ego a bit to avoid any other tantrums. "You, Sasuke, are specializing in both ninjutsu and taijutsu with a particular emphasis in close quarters combat. Where Naruto is suited for mass combat, you, given your bloodline and your strength in taijutsu, are best equipped to handle powerful, individual threats."

Shifting his focus to once again encompass all three genin, Kakashi's voice took on a solid unrelenting quality. "As team leader, I made a command decision. It was clear from past experience that Naruto could easily handle the bandits. While these bandits were better armed and situated, it is the exact same task he handled in Wave and one that his strengths are uniquely suited for. My decision to commit Naruto left the three of us free to respond to any other threats or to offer assistance to our teammate if it was required."

Fighting the urge to punch something in frustration at having to explain such basic strategic concepts to his team, Kakashi continued, "When you are protecting a client, you need to consciously look underneath the underneath. You need to think of plans within plans and practice defense in depth. What would have happened if the bandits had been more skilled than they appeared or had simply been a diversion for a group of missing nin? Even morons like Gatou figured out that multi-wave attacks can wear down superior opposition."

Refocusing his attention on Sasuke, the perpetually late jounin continued, "As for 'why the hell I let Naruto handle the fighting'... Naruto is better equipped to deal with a large number of threats, given his chakra capacity and penchant of Bunshin jutsus. You are better suited for handling individual threats and close in protection. If anyone had broken through Naruto's defense, you would have been well placed prevent him or her from approaching our clients."

Try as he may, Kakashi could not keep all of the scorn from his voice as he concluded, "While this may not be the most glamorous of roles, something that you should realize is that a successful mission is more important than whether or not you look good while doing it. I am not going to endanger our clients just so that you can prove to yourself that you can defeat some untrained bandits. If you want to showboat, you can do so on your own time and not while on a mission."

XXXXX

Hasegawa Midori had always had a strong sense of herself. She knew that she was gifted with above average intelligence and a quick wit. She knew that her family was powerful and that nearly anything she could possibly want would be handed to her if she but asked. Despite this knowledge, she tried to ensure that it didn't go to her head.

Along these same lines, she knew she was pretty and would only grow more beautiful as she grew older. Her father had gifted her with her above average height; where as her high cheekbones and regal features came from her mother. Her mane of forest green hair, which set her apart from both of her parents and her siblings, had been inherited from her paternal grandmother.

While these aspects of her appearance contributed to her beauty, it was difficult to take pride in what nature had provided. Following this logic, Midori had always focused more on the aspects of her appearance within her control.

She had always strived to be the very picture of grace and beauty, as was expected of one of the Daimyo's daughters. Extensive training had enabled her to seemingly glide across the most uneven of surfaces. Countless lessons on decorum instilled her with a seemingly innate sense of propriety. Hours of instruction had also enabled the princess to effectively mask her emotions. While many these traits were expected, others also became obvious through careful observation.

The most surprising trait was that the princess's form and movements betrayed a far more athletic lifestyle then most would think to find in a young noblewoman. While she may have weighed a bit more than most of the flighty, half starved girls of the royal court, most of it was muscle that she had worked very hard to obtain. While she hoped that the coming years would supplement her rather modest bust, overall she was very proud of her slim, taut figure. In the privacy of her own mind, her favorite feature was how her long tapered legs transitioned into a rather well sculpted, if she did say so herself, butt.

Her body's slim, lightly muscled form was a rather welcome, but unintended, side effect of the Fire Princess's primary passion. Unlike many of the other girls of the court, she had little patience for playing games or gossiping about the 'strong and handsome warriors' that seemed to infest the palace. Her interests had always lain with the sword itself and not with how handsome the man or boy wielding it may have been.

Ever since she was but a young child, she had been fascinated by the feats performed by her father, her brother, and her family's retainers. She had spent countless hours watching the elaborate katas and graceful sparring matches that were common place in the palace's training yard. Of course, she had only been free to do so after attending to her other responsibilities, including the various etiquette and deportment lessons set up by her mother.

Despite some protests from her mother, Midori had been training with the sword alongside her family's retainers for over three years now. When she had asked to be taught the sword, her father had initially been reluctant to grant the request. While he had been certain that her request was simply a phase, he had also been worried that she would injure herself before it ran its course by not granting the training the attention it rightfully deserved. He had been both surprised and pleased with her initial and continued dedication to the art. While her position and responsibilities prevented her from undertaking the full breathe of the standard samurai training regimen, Midori devoted a great deal of her free time to the sword.

And, while Midori realized that she would never be a samurai due to her position, her training had provided her with a highly valued connection with both her father and her older brother. While her father had always been caring and attentive, their relationship had deepened a great deal with this connection. She had not asked for the training to please her father, but it was another rather pleasant side effect.

Having arrived at their accommodations for the evening, Midori, escorted Master Yosho and two other guards, decided to take a walk through town before the formal dinner with the town's council. Sitting in a dusty carriage all day, just to sleep in a dusty little village was hardly her idea of a vacation. The weather was a bit warm for this time of year, and the village inn had not been built with the ventilation in mind. It also frustrated her quite a bit that her mother had forbid her to train while on this trip.

Despite these irritations, the young girl's mood improved markedly as she moved about the village. The town was quaint. The small shops and the cobblestone streets contributed to the friendly feeling of the town. She had even been able to indulge in a red bean pastry of surprising quality at a local café. The sweet and flakey treat was a bit of a guilty pleasure of hers and it went a long way towards soothing her irritation with this whole trip.

As she walked away from the café and towards a large park, she came across one of the oddest things she had ever seen. There was really no other way to adequately describe seeing over fifty identically dressed individuals performing all sorts of activities. They all turned out to be copies of one of the shinobi assigned to escort her and her mother. That this was a shinobi technique should be have been obvious from the start as she had observed only a handful of blonde individuals in her whole life and the idea of fifty congregating in one place dressed in the same clothing didn't seem very likely.

The young girl's thoughts were broken when Master Yosho muttered, "Training with Kage Bunshin… Impressive." Hearing the grudging admiration in the master samurai's words, Midori's interest in the strange scene sharpened. After a moment of indecision, the young girl decided to give into her curiosity and padded silently towards a group of the young ninja to find out what they were doing. The copies of the blonde boy looked up from their work curiously, but didn't say anything.

Closer inspection revealed that the majority of them were reading various books and scrolls while twenty or so of their number engaged in more physical pursuits a short distance away. Of this second group, the majority of the copies seemed to be focused on a single individual, whom she rightly assumed to be the original.

Standing on his hands, the blindfolded boy seemed to be a statue amidst the clones circling him at several yards distance. It was only a moment before this odd tableau was broken by some unknown signal. It started off with a single throwing knife, but soon the copies surrounding him began to push him harder. In a flurry of motion, he began to dodge throwing knives and shuriken in an increasing complex manner. Rolling, jumping, spinning, he danced through the melee, spending far more time on his hands than on his feet. This kept up for thirty seconds of so before all the clones ceased their assault simultaneously, as if by some other predetermined signal.

The training exercise intrigued the princess. It was very different then her own as the vast majority of her training focused on various aspects of swordsmanship. Physically, her training concentrated on forms and stances, balance and stamina. Mentally, her training focused on visual observation, usually reading your opponents to anticipate their actions. This exercise appeared to revolve around sensing and avoiding attacks… without seeing them.

She had watched the master samurai train, but they never did anything like this. She was uncertain if this was typical of ninja training as the ANBU teams that attended her father were rarely seen. It was like some sort of weird, inverted gymnastics routine.

Curiosity once again in the forefront of her mind, Midori glided towards the group. Once again the copies did not say anything about her presence. If anything, they began to smirk when they noticed her approach of the one that was blindfolded.

The ring of copies broke at her approach only moments before an irritated inquiry arose from inverted teen. "Why does everyone seem intent on bothering me today? I am just training… It's not as if I am killing anyone."

Despite the mild annoyance and exasperation audible in the shinobi's voice, Midori couldn't help the flash of amusement she felt. It was always amusing to catch individuals off guard as it usually revealed something unintended. Her father often referred to unexpected as the ultimate trial as it tended to reveal both secreted truths and honest natures. "I apologize for my intrusion, but I am curious about what are you doing…"

In a remarkable show of balance and strength, the blonde boy remained inverted on one arm as he raised the other to remove his blindfold. As soon as he saw who was addressing him, he launched himself into the air, twisting until he landed on his feet facing her.

As this was the first time that Naruto had been this close to the Fire Princess, he took a moment to observe the girl standing before him. The blonde shinobi had to stifle a bit of irritation at noticing that she was taller than him despite his recent growth spurt. 'Why is it that every girl I meet seems to be taller than me?' This observation was especially painful, as she also appeared to be a year or two younger than him. Taking a second to look past this almost unforgivable blow to his self-image, the genin took in the rest of her appearance.

Her hair captured his attention for only a moment… it was green after all, but anyone spending even a small amount of time around Sakura's bubblegum pink tresses tended to take such things in stride. Her facial features appeared sharp, for lack of a better term, but she was very pretty. The blonde shinobi also observed that, while her face appeared to be set in a mask of cool indifference, her cinnamon eyes seemed to betray curiosity and amusement at having caught him off guard. He intelligently limited his visual inspection to her face, as ogling the princess seemed a good way to have find out exactly how quickly a pissed off samurai could kill a genin.

"I apologize for my rude comment, Hasegawa-sama." Naruto bowed, taking a moment to shoot an accusatory glare at the clones situated around the park. He barely refrained from cursing when some of them actually waved cheerily back at him in response. 'Sometimes my Kage Bunshins are just weird…' Rising, the blonde shinobi continued, "I was caught a bit off guard by your arrival."

Amused at his embarrassed reaction and the glares he was sending at his copies, Midori responded, "It is of no account. I am the one intruding on your training and caught you off guard."

Despite her words, the boy actually looked prepared to argue the point. Looking for something to allay this, she continued, "And as it is me intruding upon your personal time, there is no need to be so formal… You may call me Midori." The words escaped her mouth before she had processed his statement. 'Why did I grant this stranger the right to call me by my given name?'

This thought was quickly abandoned as the offer earned her a brilliant, knee-weakening smile and a grateful nod from the blonde boy. "Uzumaki Naruto, but I prefer Naruto."

Struggling for a second to find a topic of conversation, Midori blurted out the first thought that came to mind. "So what is the purpose of this exercise?"

Frowning slightly as he tried to explain the rather odd exercise he had constructed, Naruto responded, "It is a bit of a mixture… The blindfold and the kunai are an awareness exercise. The walking on my hands bit helps me improve my strength and balance."

"The balance aspect I can understand, as my tutors encourage me to perform similar exercises, obviously without the blindfold or throwing knives, to ensure proper fitness. Otherwise it looks pretty simple to me."

Shrugging his shoulders at this statement, Naruto looked around at the bunshins still surrounding the group. "It is not as simple as it looks as it is a bit tricky to not only sense the kunai, but to avoid them while maintaining that awareness. The weights that I am wearing also increase the difficulty of the exercise a great deal."

Frowning slightly at what she took to be a placating tone, Midori responded, "It still appears to be rather straightforward." Due to the experiences growing up as the Daimyo's youngest child, Midori had always been sensitive about being talked down to. A number of the trainees that she spared against during her lessons had learned that it was unwise to underestimate the Fire Princess.

The blonde shinobi tilted his head as he observed the girl that appeared to have been irritated by something he had said. "And I am not arguing that, Midori-hime. All I said was that the weights increase the difficulty." There was only a slight pause before the blonde shinobi inquired, "Would you like to try one out?"

The tone of the question was polite, but the challenge inherent in the question almost made Midori's tight nod a foregone conclusion.

Naruto unhurriedly removed one of his arm weights, unobtrusively drawing out the process and allowing the chakra in the weights to dissipate, before moving to attach them to the girl's offered arm. While this had been a rather odd conversation, the blonde shinobi was actually amused by the challenging stare she offered as he secured the leather straps of the weight.

Stepping back from the girl, Naruto began, "Five, four, three, two…," Naruto grinned broadly at the girl as he intoned, "One."

When he first started counting, Midori made to ask him what he was doing. A second later, the arm band began to increase in weight so much that she forced to adjust her stance to compensate. By the time shinobi had reached one, the girl had collapsed to the side, unable to move her arm even along the ground.

Seeing her collapse, two of her guards had made to rush forward before Master Yosho, who snorted slightly in amusement, signaled to remain where they were.

As Naruto made to help her to her feet, she caught sight of the warm smile he was giving her. "Sorry about that, Midori-hime. I have an odd sense of humor and I couldn't resist…"

Despite her shock, the princess did not fail to notice that he still wore the matching band on his other arm and wore two others attached to his ankles. While irritation should have resulted from such an action, the princess was genuinely intrigued. 'He's not afraid of me… He even played a joke on me…'

Looking at him in a new light, Midori tentatively offered, "It's alright… just don't do anything like that in front of my mother, or she will end up lecturing both of us on proper behavior."

XXXXX

Naruto left the park feeling quite pleased with how things were going. While the ambush had been unfortunate, it had been very beneficial event for the Konoha ninja. Personally, it had provided Naruto with a chance to burn off some energy and to try out some of the tactics he had been practicing since Wave. On a team level, Team Seven's treatment by the samurai had improved quite a bit in its aftermath. It also allowed Team Seven to escape the useless task of guarding the baggage cart in favor of acting as the scouts/roaming patrol they had been trained to be.

If that wasn't enough of a testament as to how things had improved over the past two days, the recently completed conversation with the princess had more than justified the etiquette lessons he had endured. At the very least, those lessons had prevented him from embarrassing himself too much in front of the princess and the samurai. In fact, the conversation with the Fire Princess had been far more relaxed and enjoyable than he had thought it would be. Musing over the past half an hour, the blonde shinobi couldn't help but smile broadly as he recalled Midori's surprised expression as she collapsed to the ground.

Buoyed by this new sense of optimism, Naruto decided to find some way to thank the girls for all the time they had taken out of their schedules to help him out. Arriving at the hotel, the blonde shinobi went in search of Kakashi-sensei for some advice. He found the lazy jounin easily enough as he was relaxing in their shared room. He looked even lazier than usual propped up against the wall with his ever-present orange book.

Seeing that his sensei wasn't doing anything important and that Sasuke-teme was not present, Naruto decided that now would be the perfect time to ask his question. Fidgeting a bit because he still didn't like asking others for help, Naruto cleared his throat. Kakashi shifted his attention from his book towards the young shinobi that had interrupted him. "Is there something I can help you with, Naruto?"

"Ano… I need some advice on something and I wanted to know if you could help." When Kakashi made an encouraging motion with his hand, Naruto continued, "How would you thank a girl for helping you?"

The question was apparently interesting enough to draw the jounin's eye from his reading material as he responded, "Well you could always just thank her, but I suspect that you want your appreciation to be a bit more substantial in nature." Naruto nodded, still fidgeting slightly while standing before his sensei.

Nodding with almost exaggerated thoughtfulness, the jounin began, "What is appropriate depends on your relationship with the girl. If you are friends, then you have a bit more leeway than if you are just passing acquaintances. In the case of a good friend, then you could get her a variety of things to show your appreciation. Flowers, candy, a favorite food, etc…"

The jounin gave a small shrug before continuing, "Personally, I have always preferred jewelry to flowers or candy. It is a bit more expensive, but it is far more durable and makes a better impression…, especially if you are able to personalize the gift to their personality or to the occasion. Then the recipient will hopefully think well of you and the occasion whenever they wear it. Of course, you may need to take additional factors into account… Are we talking about a civilian or a ninja?"

Turning over what his jounin instructor had said in his head, Naruto absently responded, "They are ninja." The admission caused Kakashi to look up from his book again, his eye crinkling with amusement.

"They? My, my… you certainly are ambitious, aren't you?" Kakashi watched in amusement as a brief flash of confusion passed over Naruto's face before the young man flushed rather violently for his tan complexion, finally having realized what the jounin was inferring.

Waiting half a beat, the perpetually late jounin continued, "Perhaps your exploits will be worthy of literary documentation one day." The older man accompanied this last statement with waving the book in his hand.

Naruto's eye twitched in irritation, as Kakashi's innuendo was far from subtle, especially given his current reading material. "It's not like that!"

Kakashi dismissively waved away Naruto's denials as he filed the piece of information away as fodder for future comments. 'Despite the headaches, sometimes I can really see the appeal of having a genin team.'

Smiling behind his mask at the potential teasing this conversation would generate, the jounin continued, "Now, now. There is no need to become so defensive. Just keep that in mind when purchasing your gift. Make sure that it is not too delicate and that it won't get in the way of their duties or normal activities."

XXXXX

Midori stared at the ceiling of her room, lost in thought as she had been for much of the preceding day. The blonde shinobi intrigued her. While he had treated her politely, it was without the false deference that she had long come to associate with life at court. After the initial awkwardness, he hadn't hesitated to talk with her. He had even felt comfortable enough to play a small prank on her. 'And he is pretty cute…' Her decision made, the young girl set off in search of her mother.

Finding her in the sitting room of their suite, Midori asked, "Mother, may I attend the festival?"

Her mother turned away from the scroll she was reading and gave her a quizzical look. "Of course you will be attending the festival. We will be guests of the city council."

Sighing in exasperation, Midori explained, "No, I mean can I attend the festival with everyone else? You know that I will be shuffled off to the side as soon as the introductions are done. If you were to make some excuse, I could at least enjoy…"

XXXXX

Festivals were always a busy time for the town, with merchants and farmers coming into the town proper from near and far. The locals looked forward to the festivals as a time to unwind, while merchants and shop owners looked forward to the increase in their business. Of course, less savory characters also looked forward to the festivals for the opportunities they provided…

Kyojo had always enjoyed festivals, both for the festivals themselves and the after hour festivities that he and his friends had come to enjoy over the past couple of years. While Yusuke had always been the ringleader of their little group, even when they were kids, Kyojo had always been right in the middle of the action. Their small band had been in and out of trouble for over a decade, initially nothing serious enough to cause problems, but enough to give them a sense of camaraderie.

Luckily, their childhood antics had also been minor enough that they had been able to join the city's garrison when they became of age. Despite their new profession, the group's schemes had not been abandoned; they had simply evolved with the group's interests. Instead of distracting a storeowner to steal some candy or scheming to acquire an illicit magazine, their plans had taken on a far more risky and risqué context in recent years.

The basic festival plan itself was fairly simple. First, Yusuke would select a suitably attractive girl, with preferences to girls visiting the village that appeared rich, naïve, and sheltered. Second, the group would develop some context to remove the spoiled rich girl from her inevitable escort's presence. This was accomplished fairly easily, in many instances with the girl's assistance, as Yusuke had a gift for selecting targets where a much disliked guard or underling had been set by the girl's father to watch them.

Third, once the escort was safely removed, the young garrison members would offer to show the young woman around the town, eventually offering the girl some libations containing a fairly strong additive that just happen to result in her extreme inebriation. And finally, out of the goodness of their hearts, the group would offer the girl a quiet place for her to 'sleep' it off so her father wouldn't find out about her drinking.

The remarkable thing to Kyojo was that this idiotic scheme actually worked. In fact, over the past couple of years it had worked remarkably well. 'Between the sheltered lives that these spoiled, rich girls lead and their shame of what happens…' Kyojo shrugged, managing to suppress an amused smirk as he returned to the present.

Quickly scanning the crowd, Kyojo returned to watching the current target and her escort with a wary eye. While their little deception had worked well in the past, something told him that this particular endeavor would not turn out well. On the surface, there was little to arouse suspicion. The fact that the boy was a guard and not some sort of boyfriend or escort was revealed by the lesser quality of his clothing when compared to that of girl and the visible distance they maintained as they toured the festival. 'But something about their interaction tells me that she will not be of assistance in the guard's removal.'

Glancing over at his friend, he found Yusuke watching the pair with an odd smile on his face. Kyojo stifled a sigh. 'He always develops a one track mind when anticipating the results of this particular scheme.'

Kyojo glanced back at the couple and the feeling of dread returned. 'It is something in the eyes…' The boy smiled and laughed… he was attentive to the girl on his arm, but the expressions never reached his eyes. Their expression was set… always moving, always scanning his environment.

They didn't linger on his date or the other attractive girls the walked past… They didn't focus on the shiny baubles being sold or the various foods being served. They seemed to simply absorb everything. They panned the couple's surroundings regularly and indifferently, even flickering towards the rooftops of the buildings along the street. This was not a simple merchant's guard.

The boy's stride was even worse. Since he was a young boy, Kyojo had always paid a great deal of attention to the various warrior classes that passed through his village. From the illiterate levees that were drafted into the Daimyo's army to the elite samurai that trained for decades, he studied their every movement.

This boy's gait was not the plodding step of some farmer's son turned guard… nor was it the even march of a soldier or the smooth stride of a swordsman. It was a measured step… slow but confident… as if the boy was prepared for just about anything to jump out from around the corner. The closest thing that Kyojo could think of was the gait of a skilled criminal, aware that the garrison was on his trail and could be waiting around the corner in ambush.

XXXXX

After hearing about the princess's desire to attend the festival, Kakashi-sensei had been quick to volunteer his team for guard duty, indicating that they could remain inconspicuous with one member for close in support with himself and the other two genin stationed nearby. Given the parameters, the blonde shinobi had mentally prepared himself for an evening of watching Sasuke sulk and scowl throughout the festival while listening to Sakura rant about how the princess had better keep her grubby paws off her Sasuke-kun.

It had been oddly satisfying to observe his team's shock at Midori stating that she wanted him to be her escort for the evening. Admittedly, he had been a bit dumbfounded himself that his company would be preferred to that of the emo-teme, but his own confusion had been more than worth it for observing the pole-axed expressions of his fellow genin.

And so Naruto found himself dressed in his best clothing, sans hai-ate, escorting the princess under the watch of Team Seven and at least one of the samurai.

The circumstances left Naruto both happy and slightly unbalanced about his current mission. His sense of unease at his role had nothing to do with Midori… It wasn't as if guarding/escorting the Fire Princess was distasteful or anything. Sure the girl was a bit intimidating, but their conversation at the park had been pretty interesting. In addition, it was a… pleasant thought that a girl near his age would actually choose his company over that of Sasuke.

Throughout their time at the Academy, Sakura and the rest of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club, trademark pending, had made it perfectly clear to him that all girls would prefer drooling over the Uchiha heir to just about any other activity.

'Well… I guess that doesn't apply to all girls. While we have never talked about it, Haku-chan seems to share my views on Sasuke-teme.' After another moment, the blonde shinobi mentally added, 'Hinata-chan also never seemed to obsess over the emo-teme like the other girls at the Academy…' Smiling slightly to himself, Naruto concluded, 'Maybe some girls are sane after all.'

'No, Midori isn't the problem…' The source of his discomfort was the festival he was being forced to attend. There wasn't a festival that he could remember that hadn't resulted in him being miserable and/or injured in some form or fashion. Throughout his childhood, festivals, even those unrelated to the Kyuubi's defeat, had resulted in unpleasant consequences if he tried to participate.

And so the blonde shinobi warily watched the crowd as the festival goers moved about them. Small booths offering a variety of foods, toys, and souvenirs lined the broad streets. Colorful lanterns bobbed gently overhead, already hung in preparation for the night to come. The low murmur of adult conversations was interspersed with the excited screams and laughter of small children. Bursts of applause seemed to follow the various performers and artists that circulated amongst the crowd.

Something about the situation simply put him on edge. It took him several minutes to realize what it was… It was the simple fact that no one was looking at him.

In Konoha, he was known far and wide as the 'demon boy' or some other variation of this designation. His one other experience outside of Konoha had turned out to be its own form of torture, as it had been increasing difficult to ignore the hushed whispers and gawking stares had followed him throughout the last few days of his mission in Wave.

But, as far as anyone in this town was concerned, he was simply another teenager attending the festival. Having foregone his forehead protector and any visible weapons for the evening, he wasn't even differentiated from the rest of the crowd as a shinobi. There was no anger or suspicion… There was no awe or wonder… Anonymity… It was a novel experience for the young shinobi. He doubted he would have lasted five seconds at a Konoha festival without experiencing a hateful glare or a drunken assault.

A brief scowl settled on his face before he suppressed the expression. 'I won't let those bastards ruin this festival for me. These people don't care who I am and are only interested in having a good time.' And so the young shinobi decided to dismiss the past from his mind and focus on the present.

The laughter and the cheerful atmosphere eventually overcame his unease. After awhile, he fell into watching the crowd with a slightly wistful look. He watched as groups of friends, families of all sizes, and couples, young and old, milled about; all seemingly intent on sampling everything the festival had to offer.

He actively attempted to rectify his initial reluctance by making the most of the festival. He sampled some of the treats being sold and tried his hand at some of the games. He watched a short puppet show at the Fire Princess's request and listened in amused silence as Midori later expounded on the subtleties of some form of pastry. But, while the young shinobi began to enjoy himself, he didn't allow himself to become complacent. As they made their way amongst the festival patrons, Naruto was constantly scanning the crowd.

About two or so hours into the evening, the familiar feeling of being watched washed over the blonde shinobi. While he didn't catch anything when he first looked around, he couldn't escape the feeling that there was something out of place about the milling throng of villagers. For better or for worse, years of being hunted through the streets of Konoha had granted Naruto an acute awareness of crowds.

It was odd that he could not immediately put his finger on what caused this feeling, but he didn't ignore it as his instincts had helped him avoid countless problems in the past. Leading Midori to a nearby game stall, Naruto signaled the Kage Bunshins planted throughout the area as he unobtrusively scanned the crowd. His attention eventually fell on three individuals in garrison uniforms loitering nearby. Casual observation found that they were watching Midori and him with an uncomfortable amount of focus, almost to the exclusion of everyone else. The conclusion sent his mind spinning.

'Assassins? Kidnappers? Thieves? Or am I simply jumping to conclusions?'

Naruto, observing the three individuals for sudden movements, unobtrusively signaled Team Seven and the accompanying Kage Bunshins of the problem. One of the surrounding Kage Bunshins dispersed, informing him that much of his parameter guard was now observing the probable confrontation.

Placing a hand in the small of her back to lead the Fire Princess to a more open area, Naruto whispered, "There are a couple of guys watching us… Stay close." Casually leading Midori towards a relatively empty intersection, Naruto sensed the three 'garrison' members approaching them.

Turning towards the approaching group, Naruto noted that the three appeared to be a couple of years older than him and possessed an unusually confident swagger for being part of the garrison of a modest village. The apparent leader of the three possessed the same type of bishonen looks that made Sasuke's fangirls swoon. It would be fair to say that Naruto's experience with Sasuke had ingrained an instant dislike of all bishonen pretty boys into his personality.

The leader of the group turned towards Midori, flashing an oily smile towards her, as he began, "I am sorry to disturb your evening, but it is our responsibility to protect all those attending the festival. A pretty, young woman such as yourself needs to be careful with whom you associate… It would not do for you to fall in with the wrong sort."

The leader turned towards Naruto and continued, "I am afraid that there have been a number of thefts this evening and you fit the suspect's description. Please surrender yourself into our custody while this matter is investigated." The falsely apologetic tone grated on the young shinobi, but he managed to remain passive.

Naruto almost gawked as the man seemingly dismissed him and began to scrutinize Midori. While the action differentiated him from the brooding Uchiha, who had never really expressed any interest in the opposite sex, it did little to calm the young shinobi. In fact, the rather lascivious smile he wore as he mentally undressed the Fire Princess caused Naruto's uncertainty to be replaced by anger.

After the rather unsubtle inspection, the leader shifted his attention towards Naruto again and condescendingly added, "Don't worry about your friend. We will ensure that the young lady enjoys the rest of her evening and is safely escorted her back to her hotel."

One of the men moved forward, reaching towards Midori as if to lead her away, while the other appeared to be waiting to escort Naruto away with his hand resting arrogantly on the hilt of his sword.

Naruto's response was quick and sure, disabling all three of the garrison members in the blink of an eye. Stepping towards the middle of the three thugs, the blonde shinobi buried his fist in the lead bastard's stomach with a surprising amount of force. The thug on the left was on the receiving end of an equally sharp blow to his throat while the one on the right received a rather brutal kick to his knee. Amidst the disturbance, Sakura and Sasuke appeared behind the garrison with Sakura signaling that Kakashi-sensei was above them.

The crowd seemed to surge away from the confrontation for a few paces before curiosity caused a small but distinct bubble of onlookers to form a shell around the disabled garrison members.

Naruto was about to lead Midori away when another garrison member shoved his way through the crowd, apparently missing the presence of Sasuke and Sakura as he marched towards Naruto and the downed garrison members, demanding, "What is going on here?"

Gasping for air, the apparent leader of the patrol struggled to rise as he responded to the garrison sergeant slowly. "We observed this boy picking the pockets of a number of festival goers. When we confronted him, he caught us off guard and attacked us. We were about to respond when you arrived."

Naruto watched the recovering band with thinly disguised disgust. 'As if these bastards could 'respond' to a six year old…'

Midori, outraged that these morons had not only ruined her evening but also continued to spread blatant lies about her and her escort, spoke up, "He did no such thing! We were enjoying the festival until these three idiots began harassing us with false charges and lecherous looks. These three are an embarrassment to their uniforms and if you don't do something about it, I will see you all drawn up on charges."

The sergeant visibly twitched as the young woman's exclamation caused a wave of murmurs to wash through the crowd, managing to draw even more attention to the gathering. The sergeant looked around, beginning to sweat a bit as he remembered the garrison commander's threat of dire consequences if anything disrupted the festival. 'That hard-nosed bastard will skin me alive… I can't deal with this now.' Coming to a hasty decision, the garrison sergeant turned towards the patrol and pronounced, "Take them both into custody and we will straighten this out in the morning."

To his surprise, the suspected pickpocket spoke up, "That is not going to happen. We were minding our own business until your thugs began harassing us. Now that they have been taken care of, we will be leaving."

The sergeant may have had doubts about the situation, but you couldn't simply ignore a direct order from a member of the village garrison. Squaring his shoulders, the sergeant rather pompously declared, "Resisting arrest is a serious offence. Come quietly and you will not be harmed." The sergeant and the recovered patrol seemed to reach for their weapons as one, their hands prepared to grasp the hilts of their swords.

Again, Naruto's response was instantaneous. As soon as the sergeant and the garrison members had moved towards their weapons, ten Iwa Bunshins rose from the ground, surrounding and restraining the patrol and the sergeant. Naruto shifted the Fire Princess behind him towards several more of the bunshins. Naruto split his attention between the garrison members and the surrounding crowd as he stated, "I don't know who you are, but if you attempt to draw your weapons, you will regret it."

A shiver passed through the sergeant as he easily recognized the apparitions as a shinobi technique. The polite but confident mask the boy had been wearing had fallen away to reveal a face seemingly cut from stone. He met a pair of eyes that stared through him as if he wasn't there. 'This boy is a shinobi… a true killer…'

Slightly panicked by this revelation, the sergeant's gaze shifted towards the girl that was now hidden from view, remembering the fine cut of her kimono and the expensive ornament that held her hair. A sudden chill ran through the middle aged man as he thought, 'Why does this girl have a shinobi escort?'

"Is there a problem here?" The sergeant's thoughts were broken by the quiet, but firm inquiry. Shifting his gaze towards the questioner caused the chill he had been feeling to become a fist of ice in the pit of his stomach. The sudden appearance of a samurai in full armor seemed to tug at something in his mind, leading him to unsettlingly accurate conclusion. 'Ninja are one thing, but to have a samurai guardian…'

Before he could formulate a response, that idiot, Yusuke, decided to respond out of turn. "No, sir. This couple was causing a disturbance and attacked our patrol. We were about to take them into custody." The sergeant raged internally at the moron's arrogant smirk as he haughtily addressed what could be their executioner.

The samurai calmly passed his eyes from the restrained patrol over to the couple and inquired, "What type of disturbance were they causing?"

The sergeant could only watch in horrified fascination as the samurai's emotionless mask hardened as the explanation was provided. The samurai's response was like the biting wind of deep winter. "Allow me to be perfectly clear… You are accusing the royal princess and her escort of petty theft? And you intend to take her into custody for questioning?"

The sergeant's knees nearly buckled when the samurai confirmed his worse fears. Ignoring the now paling garrison members and rising murmurs from the crowd, the samurai intoned, "Princess?"

Midori, who had been glaring at the garrison members from behind Naruto's Bunshins, stepped forward and turned her attention towards the samurai as she responded, "Master Yosho, we were enjoying the festival until these three thugs stopped us. They were abusing their position with the garrison in hopes of isolating me from Uzumaki-san … If I had to guess, they were planning to take advantage of me. They were just an annoyance until one of them attempted to lay a hand on me. Uzumaki-san stopped them."

Nodding slowly, as if he had not observed the incident, Yosho turned towards the sergeant, his face once again taking on the stony expression he had been wearing, as he blatantly ignored the gibbering of the patrol. His voice didn't rise in volume, but the command inherent in the tone caused the sergeant to straighten even further. "Sergeant, it would seem that you need to instill a better sense of discipline in those under your command. Please conduct this patrol to your commanding officer. I expect a proper investigation into their conduct; one that will verify if they planned to abuse their positions for objectionable purposes. If that turns out to be the case…" The samurai absently caressed the hilt of his sword. "I expect them to be punished accordingly."

XXXXX

Sakura absentmindedly scrubbed herself with a washcloth as she reflected on the escort mission as a whole. While she hadn't exactly had high expectations for this trip, she had at least hoped that it would turn out to be better than Wave. But that hope had turned out to be overly optimistic. 'It is the same… Naruto is once again acting like the intolerable moron that he is. Kakashi-sensei continues to be an unreasonable and irresponsible pervert. Worst of all is that Sasuke-kun is becoming more and more frustrated by the unfair treatment he receives.'

Sakura washed herself off with a bucket of warm water, taking a moment to wrap herself in a towel, before exiting the washing area for the inn's hot springs. Her motions had been absentminded, almost listless, until she observed Hasegawa Midori already enjoying the spring's waters. While the Fire Princess did not acknowledge her presence in anyway, the young woman attending the princess eyed her warily. The level of scrutiny she was receiving from the woman made her feel a bit uncomfortable as she was only dressed in towel.

Just as the pink haired kunoichi was about to forego the hot springs for the evening, the Fire Princess took note of the new entrant and spoke. "You are free to join me if you wish. One of the primary benefits of a public hot spring is the companionship you tend to find."

Absently noting that the girl had decided to stay, Midori closed her eyes, shifting slightly as she slid a bit deeper into the water. She simply adored hot springs in general and this one seemed particularly pleasant after the festival. Flexing languidly in the barely tolerable heat, she silently luxuriated as the water soothed the tension in her body.

The evening had been pleasant, despite the encounter with the village's garrison. While it had taken a bit of cajoling to convince her mother had agreed to her idea, it had been more than worth the effort. The festival had been a breathe of fresh air, as the opportunity to simply be normal occurred so rarely in her life. At home, her every movement was planned and monitored… Freedom was such a rare occurrence that she valued each and every instance. This particular evening had been filled with sights and sounds that she had only read about… 'The games and the puppet show… Such simple, normal things…'

Of course, some of the evening's happenings had been anything but normal. 'Stay close…' The simple phrase had sent a shock through her system for a reason she really couldn't discern. It had thrilled and excited her… And yet had made her feel safe. It had been a… unique experience.

Despite her pleasant reflections, her enjoyment of the springs began to lessen as the girl that had joined her began shifting about. Opening an eye to find the girl watching her with an expression that was somehow both nervous and determined, Midori's mood soured a bit more. Seeming to forget her earlier welcome, the Fire Princess asked, "Is there something you want to ask, or do you enjoy fidgeting about while others are trying to relax?"

Sakura colored slightly with embarrassment that she had been read so easily. "I apologize for disturbing you, Hasegawa-sama. I mean no disrespect, but I wanted to know… why did you choose Naruto?"

Smiling at the predictable nature of the girl's question, Midori decided to be obtuse. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Ano… why did you choose him when…"

The girl's antics had been amusing to watch from a distance, and were even more so up close. Despite everything she had heard and observed about the much acclaimed ninja of Konoha, the kunoichi before her appeared to lack any sort of subtly and completely failed at hiding her thoughts or feelings.

Deciding to have a bit of fun and avoid the girl's verbal stumbling, Midori interrupted, "Ah… Why did I choose Uzumaki-san as my escort when I could have had THE Uchiha Sasuke as my date?"

Sakura had to bite her tongue to cut off a harsh reply. While it was difficult to ignore the derision and sarcasm practically dripping from the later half of the question, but there was little to be gained from snapping at the Fire Princess. Passive observation throughout the mission had led Sakura to conclude that under the princess's shallow, somewhat snobbish exterior lay a sharp, vindictive mind.

Midori canted her head to the side as she observed the pink haired girl with an unreadable expression. Sakura felt a slight shiver as that gaze settled on her. If it wasn't for the obvious physical differences, Sakura could almost imagine that Ino was behind that disconcerting gaze, observing her and dissecting her every thought as it passed through her mind. The princess watched her silently for almost a minute before asking, "You really don't understand boys too well, do you?"

The Fire Princess couldn't help but smirk at the angry flush that passed over the kunoichi's visage as she bit back her response.

A slight clearing of Shina's throat caused the smirk to vanish. The noise, however subtle and slight, had been her attendant's way of saying that baiting the other girl was unbecoming her station. Blushing slightly at the reprimand from her close attendant, Midori thought, 'While she may be right, something about this girl rubs me the wrong way. I will simply answer her question… if she ends up taking offense, then it is her own fault.'

With a drawn out sigh, Midori closed her eyes again and slid into the water a bit further. "Arrogant, pretentious, moody, brooding… these are not attractive characteristics to have in an escort, a boyfriend, or a potential husband."

A sardonic smile crossed the princess's continence as she continued, "I have been surrounded by such individuals my whole life. Such individuals have been raised from birth to believe that they are special, that they are better than those around them. Most are lazy, craven, and woefully ignorant of the world around them, preferring to slip through life by living off the hard work of others and basking in the glory earned by their ancestors. Despite their pretentions, it is clear that they lack the ambition, bravery, and loyalty that made their families great."

"Even those that are raised as warriors and soldiers are convinced that their heritage or wealth entitles them to rule over those around them while remaining unaware of the responsibilities that attend such status. While I will admit that I may demonstrate some of these failings from time to time, I am well aware that my life is not a life of privilege, but a life of service."

Opening her eyes, Midori found the pink haired girl watching her with an uncharacteristically patient expression. "One of your teammates seems to possess this sense of entitlement, demonstrating a heighten sense of arrogance and a general distain for those around him. As I stated before, these are not desirable traits to have in a companion. Your other teammate appears to demonstrate a different set of qualities…"

Sakura watched in silent fascination as a soft smile settled on the other girl's face as she closed her eyes again. The soft expression had the effect of transforming the normally haughty girl's features into something completely different.

"While I was touring a village a couple of days ago, I came across an interesting sight. It was simple happenstance that I wandered into the park while Uzumaki-san was training, but it was quite remarkable all the same. There were probably fifty or so clones scattered throughout the park. While he and some of the clones were engaged in katas or other shinobi exercises, others were reading books on business and economics or practicing mathematics and calligraphy."

The soft smile took on an almost rueful expression as the princess continued, "I decided to investigate further and ended up suffering a bit of embarrassment. Despite this, it occurred to me that I had found something truly unique… I had found an individual driven enough to strive for something beyond his profession… an individual that possessed a desire to improve himself beyond his current circumstances."

The Fire Princess fell silent for a moment before she continued, "While we conversed, I realized that found something even more unique. Most boys that I talk with attempt to impress me. Whether it is their family's wealth and position or their individual deeds and accomplishments, most boys tend to talk about themselves a great deal in order to curry favor or interest…. It is something that I have come to expect, but… He didn't even try."

"Even when I asked about his current mission, he talked about how he liked seeing new places, what he thought of the capital, and his disappointment that he hadn't been able to learn more about the samurai he had heard so much about. He didn't even mention what happened with the bandits."

"Instead of an arrogant braggart, I discovered Uzumaki-san to be a person willing to put aside pretense and enjoy himself... a person that could be described as cheerful and possessing… an interesting sense of humor. Further, I found a person willing to look past my family and see me for who I am. Admittedly, I did not expect to find such a person on this trip and I decided to use the festival as a chance to get to know him better."

Sakura watched as the small smile that the Fire Princess had been wearing slid from her face as she fell silent. The green haired girl opened her eyes again and simply stared into the distance for a moment before she concluded, "My life is a life of service… My father will likely arrange for my marriage within the next couple of years. While my father will not choose a man unfit to be my husband, there is little chance that the match will be for love or of my choosing."

Midori shifted her attention towards the other girl, preparing to leave after this last statement. "Knowing this and to answer your question, I would rather spend my time with someone worthy of my attention as opposed to someone who demonstrates a large number of obvious personality flaws."

XXXXX

Temari for lack of a better term was bored… bored out of her mind. The young Suna kunoichi was currently sitting quietly in the corner of the private dining room, eating her meal while observing three nobles doing the same in the center of the room. Her assignment to this mission was a bit of a fluke.

The requested escort mission had required kunoichi to assist in the protection of the Wind Daimyo's wife in more intimate settings, such as while she bathed and rested in her quarters. But due to the nature of the intense and brutal training instituted by the Kazekage, her 'loving father' or the heartless bastard depending on if she was feeling sarcastic or not, to increase the quality of Suna's individual ninja, Suna kunoichi were few and far between.

Thus Temari, a mere genin, found herself temporarily reassigned to a more experienced team as Kankuro's crass nature and Gaara's bloodlust made them ill suited for diplomatic escort duty. While she was enjoying the respite from the constant tension that naturally came from being in close quarters with her brothers, she was beginning to feel rather lonely.

Her fellow Suna shinobi on this assignment were polite enough but had been acting rather distant around her. She assumed that this treatment had to do with her relation to Gaara as being related to what many considered to be the 'Scourge of Suna' tended to have a negative impact on one's social life.

While she was used to feeling somewhat alienated from her fellow ninja, she usually had Kankuro or Baki-sensei around to commiserate with. But eight days into this mission, the pretentious and stilted conversations were beginning to wear on her. Hence the boredom and the slight irritation that she couldn't seem to shake.

This meal was just one of many that she had been forced to silently sit through as they had made their way towards Fire Country. This particular restaurant was rather nice, the atmosphere pleasant without being overly pretentious. As seemed to be the custom, the nobles had been provided with a private dining room in which to hold their discussions.

The layout was fairly straight-forward: the main table sat in the center of the dining room with individual tables situated in each of the room's corners. At each of the individual tables sat a ninja, two from Konoha and two from Suna. These tables were canted towards the center of the room so that the ninja would be well positioned to observe their charges as well as the opposing shinobi. Two samurai also sat behind their charges, abstaining from the meal while seeming to meditate silently.

Overall, the set up made for a rather dull meal, as she was too far from any of the others, especially any of the other ninja, to even consider having a conversation. Not that it would have made much difference in any case. Her fellow Suna kunoichi, a relatively young chuunin, had made it clear throughout the mission that she had little interest in conversation. The pink-haired kunoichi directly across the room seemed a bit too concerned about her looks and one of her teammates to be a descent conversationalist in any event.

Glancing towards the other Konoha shinobi caused her irritation to rise. Prior to the first meeting between the Wind and Fire Country nobles, she had been briefed on the Konoha ninja team that had been assigned to the mission. The only two that had been assigned a name had been Hatake Kakashi, the renowned Copy-nin, and Uchiha Sasuke, the last scion of the Uchiha Clan.

The other two team members had simply been noted as clanless ninja of little talent or consequence. Given that note and her confirming observations about the pink-haired kunoichi, Temari had been inclined to dismiss the blonde as a non-entity, especially after seeing him standing beside his dark-haired teammate. While cute, he did not look particularly strong or intimidating and always seemed to have a smile plastered across his face. He was the very picture of a cheerful idiot.

As the day continued, Temari was forced to admit that her initial assessment might have been a bit premature. At first, her attention had focused on him as she had spotted a couple of solid blonde bunshins circling their group as the toured the city.

After about a half hour of discreet observation, the Suna kunoichi was willing to admit to herself that there was simply something about him that made her feel a bit uneasy. It wasn't the overwhelming killing intent of her brother or the easy assurance of Baki-sensei or some other jounin. But there was something… just beyond her senses that warned her against dismissing the blonde.

Taking in her observations and knowing that her father was planning for her team to attend Konoha's Chuunin Exam in the coming months, the blonde kunoichi decided that this was the perfect opportunity to see if all those seduction classes she had been forced to attend in the academy had been worth her time.

While it was a bit of a snap decision, she had no plans of taking it too far and she may gain a bit of insight into Konoha and the opponents that her team could face in the upcoming Chuunin Exams. Besides, he was cute and it would be an amusing training exercise to entrap the Konoha shinobi within her web, only to crush his illusions later on.

And so, she attempted to capture his interest... attempted being the operative word. A couple of lingering glances and shy smiles made no impression on the blonde shinobi as far as she could tell… Three attempts at conversation had also been brushed aside. It wasn't long before Temari's ire towards the blonde shinobi begun to rise in spectacular fashion at having been passed over so casually.

While Suna ninja and villagers alike would give her a wide berth due to her relation to Gaara, she had received a number of appreciative glances and even some invitations to dinner while in the field. She would never admit it to anyone, but the fact that he had simply ignored her without even a second glance stung her ego quite a bit.

Glancing towards the Leaf shinobi sitting in the corner to her right caused her determination to harden, despite her irritation.

Shifting her kimono, Temari situated herself in such a way as to accentuate her form to maximum effect beneath her formal clothing. Arching her back and placing a slight smile on her face, she waited for him to notice. She couldn't help but observe him eating the ramen that he had specifically requested the staff of the restaurant to prepare. It seemed a bit strange to come to a restaurant such as the one they were sitting in and request a dish that could be acquired in just about any street side stand.

She had nothing against the dish itself. In fact, she was known to enjoy ramen quite often in Suna, especially during the cooler months of the year. The problem was that he seemed to be devoting his whole attention to the dish in front of him. Temari was beginning to grow impatient, but soothed her irritation by telling herself that he would finish sooner or later and then her fun would begin.

And then came the moment of truth… Having finished his bowl, he glanced around the room, first focusing on the nobles' table, then shifting his attention towards each of the room's other occupants. The level of attention that was paid to her was neither more nor less than he paid to any other person in the room.

After taking a deep, but inaudible breath; she ignored this additional blow to her self-esteem for the moment. Well aware that she was attractive, the Suna kunoichi quickly determined that the problem must lie with him. 'Either he is gay or one of densest men on the planet… Either way, I'll teach the bastard not to ignore a Suna kunoichi…' Shifting her kimono again to reveal an almost indecent amount of skin, even compared to her normal attire, she coughed softly, drawing his attention once more.

He sat staring at her, his mouth slightly agape. Smiling sweetly at him, Temari observed the server bring out the Konoha shinobi's second helping of ramen and setting it before him. 'Perfect. This will teach him to pass me over.' While continuing to smile at him, Temari made a rather rash decision, especially considering the foreign ninja and samurai in the immediate area, and prepared to use her second favorite weapon, obviously after her fan.

Of the three basic shinobi weapons, only one appealed to Temari. Shuriken relied upon their rotation and sharpened edges to tear into their targets. Kunai are often used to slash or stab an opponent during combat. Both relied primarily on blunt trauma and were extremely messy.

Senbon needles, on the other hand, were a different story altogether. A single senbon directed to a precise location of the body could be more effective than a host of shuriken or kunai. When in the hands of a master, senbon needles were elegant, precise, and effective. 'What more could a girl desire in a weapon?'

While this had not been her original intention, this should serve as an object lesson for the dense shinobi to not ignore an attractive girl. With this last thought, Temari unleashed a single senbon needle towards the ceiling of the restaurant. The needle impacted with and was deflected by one of the light fixtures there. It resumed it journey on a downward trajectory towards where the blonde shinobi was sitting.

The senbon needle hit its target, which happened to be the newly delivered bowl of ramen. Due to the needle having impacted the upper lip of bowl's interior, the senbon's impact caused the bowl's steaming contents to be upended into the blonde shinobi's lap. This was followed shortly by a bout of swearing by the blonde ninja as he stood abruptly in an attempt to remove the near scalding liquid from his skin.

This spectacle was greeted by a flurry of movement from the restaurant's staff, inaudible murmurs from the nobles, and stony silence from the room's guardians. The blonde shinobi flushed in both anger and embarrassment as he attempted to clean his kimono with some napkins. After he settled down, the blonde ninja sent Temari a scathing look, to which she responded to with a small wave.

A few minutes after the ramen incident, Temari's battle fan, which had been unobtrusively resting immediately behind her in the corner of the room, suddenly fell towards her without apparent cause. The fan impacted Temari's right shoulder before continuing forward, eventually upsetting the small table in front of her, causing its contents to be catapulted in her direction.

Temari's eyes closed as a reflex and she gasped in shock. Luckily, Temari had almost completed her meal, but she was still reluctant to examine the damage that had been done to her formal outfit. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found that she was covered in the remains of her tea and had pieces of rice scattered all over her.

Seeing that she was now the center of attention, she apologized profusely to the nobles in the room for the disruption and slowly began to clean herself up. While she was doing this, she happened to glance towards the blonde shinobi again. She found him waving at her, grinning like an idiot. She immediately comprehended that he was responsible for the previous incident.

'But how did he do it?' she thought as her face reddened with anger. Suddenly, the answer occurred to her, 'Chakra strings.' Her response to this realization and his insufferable smirk was to throw to series of senbon needles that managed to pin one of the shinobi's arms to the wall behind him. She shortly followed this up by hitting him between the eyes with one of the rice balls that had survived from her meal. Temari managed to dodge the rice ball that the blonde returned with his off hand as he released his arm from the wall.

Both of the ninjas were rising to their feet, when they finally noticed the intense silence that had descended upon the room's other guests. Glancing around at the incredulous looks they were receiving from the nobles, the samurai, and their fellow ninja, both blondes flushed scarlet and bowed their heads sheepishly. There really was nothing to say about being caught engaging in a food fight during an important diplomatic meeting.

After a moment, the Fire Daimyo's daughter broke down and started laughing hysterically at the whole scene. The more sedate laughter of the two older noblewomen soon joined that of the younger girl. As they made to resume their meal, the Fire Daimyo's wife wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and stated, "Had I known that ninja were capable of such entertainment, I would have insisted on a ninja escort years ago."

XXXXX

Having completed his duties for the evening, Naruto decided to make use of the hot springs located at the hotel. He entered the changing area a bit hesitantly, only to find the well-lit room empty. The changing room and the washing area were fairly impressive to look at, nicely decorated without being garish.

After undressing and storing his folded clothes away, the blonde shinobi quickly gathered the necessary items to wash himself. Sitting on a stool while washing himself was quite a change from the small but functional shower stall he used while he was in Konoha. Using the soap to build a lather, the blonde shinobi began a closer examination of his surroundings.

While the bathing area was far nicer than what he was accustomed to, the room seemed a bit too open to him and Naruto was suddenly glad that he was here alone. He used a bucket of warm water to wash off the last of the soap lingering on his body before he wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way towards the spring,

A noise caught his attention and Naruto found himself glancing around the bathing area once again. Not finding anything amiss, the young shinobi opened the paper-crate, sliding door to reveal the hot spring itself. He stood in the doorway for a long moment, admiring a luxury that he had heard about, but never been able to experience back in Konoha. Mumbling slightly about bathhouse owners being a bunch of jerks, Naruto made his way across the rough stone surrounding the pool and slipped smoothly into the hot spring.

Subtly shifting as he tried to find a comfortable spot, Naruto looked around the spring with interest. While he was currently the only one using the pool, the spring was easily large enough to seat twenty comfortably. The lanterns that lit the cool night provided a rather peaceful atmosphere as their soft light filtered through the steam rising from the water. There was a rather tall wooden fence that appeared to be separating the male section from the women's area.

Laying back and stretching his arms over his head, Naruto breathed deeply, taking in a good quantity of the warm, humid air of the spring. Exhaling slowly, the young shinobi couldn't help but feel a bit more clear-headed than when he entered.

In all honesty, the next half hour was probably the most relaxing of his life. The warm water seemed to wash away all of the minor aches and pains that seemed to go hand and hand with being a ninja.

During this time, Naruto began to reflect on the day's events, particularly on the strange behavior the Suna kunoichi had been demonstrating throughout the day. The Kage Bunshins he had watching the group had given him some additional perspectives on her behavior. After about an hour of complete indifference, the girl had begun to alternate between bouts of coquettish civility and slight anger depending on whether or not the 'real' Naruto was visible or not.

Oddly enough, the slightly unbalanced nature of her actions reminded him of Sakura's mood swings, which usually depended on whether Sasuke-teme was present. The thought had given him pause and the blonde shinobi had decided that the best solution was to simply ignore the strange girl's behavior. But ignoring her simply seemed to exasperate the situation.

Her most shocking action had been when she nearly exposed herself during the formal meal. Shock did not even begin to address how he had felt in the moments before his ramen had been upended. That he had not reacted to the senbon in time to protect his ramen or to prevent his own secondary injury worried him slightly and caused him to reflect on why the sight had affected him to such a degree.

'She is cute, but I spend quite a bit of time with pretty girls and usually don't react in such a way. And while her kimono was askew, it revealed far less than a swimsuit or even the majority of clothes kunoichi normally favor… Maybe it's the fact that the concealing nature of kimonos served to accentuate what should have remained hidden.'

Giving up the train of thought as a dead end, Naruto eventually decided that he should apologize to the Suna kunoichi about his earlier behavior. While she had instigated the fight, he should not have responded by throwing food at her in the middle of dinner. 'While the fan bit was cool, the food fight was rather unimaginative. And, while this topic was not specifically covered in Hinata-chan's and Ino-chan's lessons, I doubt that throwing food stuffs at fellow guests is acceptable dinner behavior.'

As he was chuckling softly at the thought, Naruto realized that he had not even been properly introduced to the kunoichi. 'That will make apologizing a bit more difficult…' Climbing out of the bath and securing the small towel around his waist, Naruto made his way back to the changing room.

Upon entering the room, he noticed something was amiss. His clothes, which he had folded neatly and placed on the shelf, were missing. Glancing around the room also revealed that all the extra towels and the robes that had been present before he entered the bath were also missing. The only piece of fabric available to him was that which was currently wrapped around him. After all of two seconds, he determined who was responsible and he quickly exited the bathing area, hoping that the hallways leading towards the guest rooms would be vacant.

XXXXX

A short distance away, Temari was in her room, changing for the night and feeling satisfied that she had finally put that blonde bastard in his place. 'That arrogant little snot is probably still wondering where his clothes went…' Just as she had finished removing her chest wrappings and was reaching for her nightshirt, the door to her room burst open, giving way with a muted crash.

The blonde Konoha ninja stormed into the room, yelling, "That it! Let's take this outside and settle this once…" The rest of his statement was lost as his mental functions ground to a halt. Temari's natural instincts and years of training had caused her automatically turn to face the threat, her lack of clothing temporarily forgotten.

The two ninja stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, but which wasn't more than a few seconds. Naruto's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but no sound except a strangled "Whoa!" escaped. And with this eloquent exclamation, Naruto suddenly developed a serious nosebleed and stumbled backwards into the doorframe. This reaction caused Temari to remember herself and throw on her nightshirt faster than should have been humanly possible.

Having completed this task, Temari turned once again towards the shinobi that had burst into her room and screamed, "What the hell is your problem?" This inquiry had barely left her mouth before she scrabbled for her fan, intent on ridding the world of a certain loud-mouthed shinobi.

This was the how the scene appeared to the two jounins that had arrived to investigate the disturbance. Kakashi, quickly taking stock of the situation, tossed Naruto over his shoulder and addressed the Suna Jounin, "I think in the interests of inter-village relations, that it would be best if we separated these two right now." Without waiting for a response, Kakashi vanished with Naruto in tow, leaving a swirl of leaves in his wake.

Kakashi simply tossed the dazed Naruto onto his bed, deciding to forego a lecture about proper behavior on diplomatic missions. As the jounin walked towards his room, the lazy jounin thought, 'Breaking into a girl's hotel room after getting in a food fight with the same girl only a few hours before… Slightly different circumstances, a bit of luck, and maybe a dash of alcohol would make Naruto the perfect candidate for his own Icha Icha novel.'

XXXXX

The Fire Daimyo gazed distractedly over the ornamental gardens that sat outside of his study as he reflected on events that transpired earlier in the day. Watching the lengthening shadows allowed him to ruminate without interruption.

The day had started as many did, with him handling the rather monotonous task of governing his family's empire. A still vigorous man of middling years, he had been enjoying a brief respite between meetings when an attendant knocked softly on the door. Bidding them to enter, the Daimyo had turned and found a young aide bowing deeply as he reported that his wife and daughter had returned from their trip. Deciding to personally welcome the two home, he had risen from his position and exited the study with a small smile gracing his features.

As he entered the outer courtyard, he spotted his wife easily amongst the slight bustle of activity. Even after three children and over twenty years of marriage, she still looked every inch the beautiful girl he had married.

A small smile spread across his wife's face as she observed his approach. Bowing with a flourish, the Daimyo began, "My lady, it has been far too long since I have been able to bask in your presence. Now that you have been restored to my company, my only desire is that it will be many years until I will have to endure such a hardship again."

This type of greeting was a bit of a private joke between the two as their mutual dislike of the some overly pompous attendees of a particular court function had been one of the things that had drawn them together all those many years ago. Offering her hand, his wife retorted, "Greetings, husband. I trust that you have not allowed the country to fall into revolt during my absence."

Accepting the hand with a soft kiss, he returned, "Who would dare rise in revolt, knowing that they would be opposing such a beautiful and intelligent woman as you?"

Smiling as she glided to his side, she sighed, "It is nice to know that I am appreciated."

"Always." Well aware that any further celebration of his wife's return would have to wait until later that night, the Daimyo changed the subject. "I trust that there were not anymore difficulties after the forest."

"No difficulties. The increased guard ensured that the rest of the trip was quite uneventful. It probably helped that rumors quickly spread about how one of our escort was responsible for having wiped out over sixty bandits in as many seconds."

Grimacing at the fact that over sixty bandits had been so close to his wife and daughter, the Daimyo replied drily, "I imagine that would dissuade even the most of bothersome of bandits." Shaking his head to dismiss subject, while noting to initiate a pogrom to wipe out all the bandits in the western provinces, the man glanced around the area and asked, "Where is Midori?"

"She is probably bidding farewell to the Konoha shinobi." The Daimyo couldn't help but notice how his wife's eyes danced with amusement as she leaned towards him and whispered, "I think our little girl has gone and developed a crush on one of our escorts."

That comment caused several emotions to pass through his mind, ranging from the interested amusement of a doting father to the concerned disapproval of clan leader, as his wife led him towards his youngest child's location. Yet an apparition from his past decimated all these thoughts.

The sight of messy blonde hair and a confident smile had brought forth memories of a dearly missed friend and loyal subject. A young man that had been his friend and bodyguard for almost three years... A young ninja that overcame great personal loss to join him at the front lines to lead Konoha's forces against the depravations of Iwa in the final days of the war... A clan head that had presented his family with a stunning gift at the birth of his son.

The Daimyo was shaken from his thoughts when his majordomo entered the office to announce that the day's business had been completed. Without turning from the window, the Daimyo spoke in a quiet yet self-assured tone, "I need for you to investigate Uzumaki Naruto. Do not use any of the official channels or direct inquiries, but I want to know anything you can find out about his ancestry, specifically his parentage."

"The resemblance is uncanny." Fire Country's ruler turned towards his chief of staff with a raised eyebrow, but was not surprised by the other man's statement. After all, they had worked together for too long, even before he had succeeded his father to the throne, to be surprised by the man's seeming ability to read his mind.

Bowing slightly, his chief of staff continued, "With your permission, I would like to extend an invitation to Takahiro Kenji and his family to visit the palace at his earliest convenience. His close relationship with the Kazama Clan should enable him to address at least some of our questions." Frowning slightly in thought, the Daimyo's closest advisor concluded, "I have always thought that there was more of a story behind the sealed chest he asked you to hold for safekeeping."

Matching his advisor's frown, the Daimyo reflected on this suggestion. It had been years since he had even thought of Takahiro Kenji. The man and his family had appeared at the palace mere days after Arashi's death and had been able to provide a number of personal details regarding his friend's last hours.

As a personal request, he had asked the Daimyo to take possession of a heavily sealed chest, which was said to contain many of the Kazama Clan's more valuable artifacts. That chest had been secured within its own special room deep within the palace. This level of safekeeping was just as much a safety precaution as for security… His seal masters had said that any tampering with the advanced seals that covered its surface could easily destroy the chest and a good portion of the palace.

"As for another branch of inquiry… Your sister, for all her idiosyncrasies, is both familiar with Konoha and fairly adept at gathering intelligence… I understand that she is still having great success with using her cats as a means to gain regular access to her contacts in Hokage Tower…" Shaking his head in amusement, the Daimyo's chief of staff continued, "Perhaps you should ask her to look into this as well… discreetly, of course."

XXXX

A/N: A couple vacations, a family illness, a funeral, the holidays, a car accident (that wasn't my fault), and work… Many excuses, but I am pretty sure that no one is really interested in hearing them. This chapter not quite to my liking, but I didn't see the sense in delaying it any further. One of the main difficulties was that Midori's character became more complicated as time went on. The whole purpose of this mission was the introduction of Temari prior to the Chuunin exam and the Fire Daimyo scene at the end. Oh well… Better late than never and hopefully the next installment will be sooner rather than later.

Here is an interesting question… Did Naruto return to his room and change into a spare set of clothes or go directly to Temari's room wearing only a towel to confront her? It is not important to the story, but the second scenario is much more amusing to envision.

Next Chapter: Of Gratitude and Danger

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	15. Chapter 15

Naruto: Kazama Ascendant

Chapter 15: Of Gratitude and Danger

Having fulfilled his responsibilities for the day, Hokage Kazama Naruto decided that he had earned an afternoon off. While he had long ago defeated the bane of all Kages, also know as paperwork, the blonde shinobi had come to the realization all work and no play would make him as disagreeable as an Uchiha. The blonde Hokage felt a shiver of fear at the thought as scowling at everything that moved didn't fit his personality. Besides, Sarutobi-jiji had always said that it was important for the Hokage to get out of the office every once in a while.

And so, after enjoying a leisurely lunch that resulted in a large pile of bowls at Ichiraku's Ramen, the blonde shinobi decided to spend his afternoon sparing with one of his subordinates. It wasn't much of a spar, but then there were not many ninja that could stand against the most powerful Hokage ever. And so, after having soundly thrashed Sasuke-teme like a new Academy graduate for the better part of an hour, the young Hokage decided drop his former teammate by the hospital and return home.

Just as Naruto walked through the door of his house, he was practically assaulted by a beautiful blonde kunoichi. This young woman squealed "Naruto-kun!" in a very girlish manner as she leapt at the young Hokage.

Ino was wearing an outfit very similar to what she had worn while they were growing up. She had, however, long since discarded the wrappings that had been part and parcel of her attire during her years at the Academy. This was a vast improvement in the young Hokage's opinion as this relatively minor change in her wardrobe left her tan mid-drift exposed to his tactile inspection. The lack of bandages also complimented Ino's standard skirt, as the impossibly high slits on the skirt's sides now further accentuated her lightly tanned legs.

The Hokage merely smiled as Ino sighed contentedly and practically molded herself to his body. Pouting slightly, the blonde kunoichi murmured, "I've missed you. You could have been home hours ago."

The young Kazama beamed happily as he responded, "I know, I know. But you know how I like to stretch my legs every once in a while. Besides, I have to keep Sasuke-teme in his place! If I didn't, the bastard's ego would probably be overflowing the Uchiha District and infringing on the Hyuuga Compound before I could blink. I am just doing my part for inner-village diplomacy."

Ino's eyes glazed over and turned into stars as she exclaimed, "You're so amazing, Naruto-kun!" Disengaging himself from the blonde's embrace, Naruto merely chuckled as he scratched his head.

It was at this time that the young kunoichi noticed a small amount of blood on the cuff of his robes. Ino's adoring continence changed almost immediately to one of outrage. "Why didn't you say something about being injured?" The blonde's voice shifted to carry throughout the house. "NURSE!"

A whisper of sound signaled the arrival of Haku, who was now standing beside Naruto, studying him intently. Whether the level of scrutiny was related to her profession or less wholesome reasons was anyone's guess. Continuing to scratch the back of his head, Naruto chuckled, "Honestly Ino-chan, there is no need to be concerned. It was just a paper cut from this morning. It healed almost instantly. It is nothing to worry about."

The blonde kunoichi appeared to take some umbrage at the comment, shifting her hands to her hips as she responded, "Naruto-kun! You are not qualified to make such judgments. That is why you were instructed to consult with your personal physician whenever you are injured."

At this, Naruto once again cast his gaze upon his personal physician. Despite being an exceptionally qualified med-nin, Haku appeared to be wearing the same uniform worn by the nurses at the hospital… except this version of the outfit seemed to be several sizes too small, with the skirt having been shortened significantly.

Ino eventually gave up glaring at Naruto and turned towards the other girl. "Haku, it appears that Naruto-kun has not been following our instructions regarding his health. I think that a full examination is required to ensure that he is not hiding any other injuries from us."

Glancing nervously at the two girls as they turned towards him with hungry looks reflected in their eyes, Naruto stuttered, "T… That won't be necessary. I swear that I am perfectly fine." The two girls completely ignored his protests and attacked, bodily throwing him towards the couch in the living room and rapidly progressing in their mission to 'check him for injuries'.

Just as the two finished removing his robes and tearing apart his shirt, the door leading to the kitchen swung open. Hinata walked into the room a second later, carrying an enormous bowl of ramen. She appeared to be wearing her oversized white coat, as usual. What was unusual was that she did not appear to be wearing anything else. The half zipped coat was barely long enough to hide her modesty, leaving her toned legs and a healthy amount of cleavage exposed.

Struggling a bit with the large bowl of ramen, Hinata exclaimed, "You're finally home, Naruto-kun! I made you a light snack." Noticing the bowl the attractive, barely clothed kunoichi was carrying, Naruto exclaimed, "Mmmmm... RAMEN! Hinata-chan, you really know how to spoil me."

As Hinata moved forward to place the bowl before Naruto, she appeared to stumble a bit and managed to spill some of the warm miso ramen on Naruto's exposed chest. With a sudden intake of breath, Hinata began to apologize and said that she would clean it up immediately.

A barely audible clearing of a throat drew everyone's attention to Ino. The young Hokage found his fellow blonde wearing a grin that scared him more than he could express. Leering quite directly, Ino absently observed, "You know, it would be a real shame to let any of Hinata's delicious miso ramen go to waste." The other two girls appeared to catch Ino's hint immediately and acquired rather lecherous looks in their own eyes. Just as the three of them were beginning to descend upon him…, Naruto's alarm clock went off.

The blonde shinobi leapt from his bed and, hopelessly tangled in his sheets, fell unceremoniously to the floor with a heavy thud. Scurrying to his feet, Naruto yelled, "What the hell was that?" as he looked around his bedroom a tad franticly to verify that he was alone.

After he recovered from his rather abrupt return to reality and moved to begin his morning preparations, Naruto took the time to reflect on what he remembered of his dream. The Hokage part of the dream was rather unremarkable as it was not unusual for him to daydream of terrorizing the countryside in Hokage robes. When he was a little younger, these dreams had often involved tasting all the available ramen to ensure it was safe for his citizens to eat or convincing local merchants of the various benefits of producing more orange clothing. Many of his afternoons at the Academy had been whittled away with such distractions.

Pummeling Sasuke was also a relatively common occurrence, usually depending on how much of an ass the bastard had been at the Academy. What caught him by surprise was that he had never really experienced such an explicit dream about a girl, let alone girls…

'Not even at the height of my infatuation with Sakura.' Naruto paused in his evaluation and found himself reflecting on how the girls had been dressed in his dream. Each outfit seemed to have been based on their usually clothing, only infinitely more suggestive. Naruto found himself absently wiping a small trickle of blood away from his nose as his thoughts progressed.

The sight of the red liquid as he absently looked down at his hand shocked Naruto out of his daydream. 'What the hell was I just thinking about? Am I becoming a pervert like Hokage-jiji? Perhaps hanging around Kakashi-sensei and his perverted books is having more of an impact on me than I realized?'

Reflecting on what had changed in the past couple of days, Naruto thought, 'Maybe the incident with the Suna kunoichi served as some sort of trigger for these types of thoughts. If so, I need to be more attentive to my surroundings… I wouldn't want to start zoning out like Hokage-jiji.'

Following that line of thought, caused the blonde shinobi to shudder as he imagined what Ino or Haku would do to him if they some how found out about his dream. And poor Hinata would either pass out or run screaming in the other direction. Having concluded his analysis, Naruto decided that it was better for both his health and his sanity to forget that this episode had ever taken place.

XXXXX

Sarutobi, long accustomed to all sorts of mission debriefings, had been looking forward to this one since the previous day. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face as he took his time reviewing the completed mission scroll and Kakashi's accompanying report while smoking his pipe.

The members of Team Seven waited silently as the Hokage exhaled several puffs of aromatic tobacco smoke, reviewing the scroll and emitting a low murmur every so often. Near the end of the scroll, the Sandaime appeared to frown as he reread a section, causing the three genin members of Team Seven to shift a bit uneasily.

The elderly ninja smiled slightly as he turned his full attention to the ninja gathered in his office. "Welcome back Team Seven. It appears that your mission was a complete success. The Daimyo was particularly impressed with how efficiently the ambush situation was handled."

Glancing over the scroll in hand, the Hokage continued, "The mission fee has been paid in full. The Fire Daimyo's wife even paid a bit extra because Naruto 'prevented the tour from being a complete bore.'"

Placing aside the scroll he had theatrically referenced for the quote, the Sandaime folded his hands on his desk and innocently inquired, "Naruto… While I am delighted that our esteemed client was pleased with your performance, would you mind enlightening me as to what she meant by that statement?"

Blushing in embarrassment at having to explain having a food fight in the middle of a diplomatic meeting, Naruto responded, "It was just a minor disagreement with one of the Suna kunoichi… It wasn't that important."

Sarutobi rocked slightly in his chair as he contemplated his response. The small smile reappeared on the elderly man's face as he continued chidingly, "Now Naruto, it is quite unusual for you to blush. I hope nothing… untoward happened on this trip."

The statement hung in the air as the blonde genin fidgeted slightly under the old man's penetrating gaze. Naruto's blush had intensified noticeably as the Hokage's comment had caused the blonde shinobi to remember exactly what had followed the 'minor disagreement with one of the Suna kunoichi.'

The blonde's obvious unease caused Sarutobi's amusement at the situation to increase exponentially. Continuing in the same chiding tone, the elderly Hokage scolded, "I think that is a bit hypocritical of you to act in an… untoward manner while on a mission representing Konoha. I mean that you are always going on and on about perverts and such…"

The shift in the conversation caused both Sasuke and Sakura to shake off their feigned indifference to the conversation and glance between their teammate and the Hokage with more than a bit of curiosity.

Deciding that he could draw out his amusement just a bit more, the Hokage concluded, "It would truly be a shame if any… untoward behavior on your part resulted in poor relations with the either the royal court or Suna. I hope you will learn to suppress such… untoward behavior in the future… It simply isn't proper for a fine, upstanding young man as yourself to act in such a manner."

XXXXX

The week preceding Naruto's mission had been as close to heaven as Hinata could imagine. It had been… both exhilarating and nerve wracking to have Naruto pay such close attention to her. The discussions on manners and customs, the practice meals and conversations, the evening out at the restaurant… While not exactly a reenactment of domestic bliss that many young girls would imagine, it was far closer to the situation than the young Hyuuga heiress had ever believed she would achieve.

'And it felt right… Besides the near blissful feeling of spending time with Naruto-kun outside of sparring, it felt good to have the opportunity to guide him… to repay him for all the times he has helped me… All the times he has inspired me to keep trying.' It was both a relief and a disappointment for the young genin to return to their normal training routines.

XXXXX

Having finished their now customary sparring session, Naruto and the two kunoichi found themselves catching up with each other as they enjoyed the meal Hinata had prepared in celebration of Naruto's return. It had been a light day of training as the two girls had been more interested in hearing about the young shinobi's escort mission than sparring this evening.

The meal itself was relatively simple, but he couldn't remember many times when he had been more content while eating. The easy friendship he shared with the girls was almost heavenly when compared to the animosity that seemed to infest Team Seven's interactions. Despite the relatively platonic feelings the young shinobi believed he had for his friends, Naruto couldn't help the embarrassed blush that appeared on his face when he noticed the Hyuuga heiress using a portable stove to prepare miso ramen as part of the meal.

Throughout Hinata's preparations and the meal that followed, Naruto talked at length about the mission. The attentive girls listened quietly as the blonde shinobi described his time in the capital, the ambush in forest, and the confrontation during the festival. While he began the evening fairly relaxed, the two kunoichi noticed that Naruto appeared to become increasingly nervous and uncomfortable after he finished his story and the meal progressed.

Concerned about this uncharacteristic behavior, Hinata inquired, "Are you feeling okay, Naruto-kun? I hope there wasn't there something wrong with the food…"

Shaken from his uncertain thoughts by the question, Naruto beamed at the shy girl and responded, "No, Hinata-chan. You have out done yourself as usual."

Hinata looked down as she felt herself blush, mentally chastising herself for letting such a simple compliment throw her so off kilter. Even after a couple months of friendship, the young heiress would occasionally find herself surprised that the blonde shinobi's simple praise could warm her very soul. She took a moment to mentally settle herself, taking a deep breath as she looked down at her fidgeting hands and calmly willed the spreading redness of her blush to recede.

Eying the now smiling boy suspiciously, Ino, as was her custom, cut right to the point. "So, what is your problem? You seem rather nervous about something."

The two kunoichi watched curiously as the normally talkative boy fell silent once again. Their curiosity increased as he began to fidget under their inspection, a light blush coloring his face. Eventually, he reached into one of his pockets and withdrew two small boxes: one wrapped in a pale yellow paper, the other in pale lavender. He silently handed each girl a small box.

Each girl looked at their respective boxes for a moment before returning their attention to the blonde shinobi. Naruto nervously cleared his throat and explained, "I wanted to say thank you for the etiquette training… So, I purchased these on the trip."

With an inquisitive tilt of her head, Ino examined the box as she began to unwrap it. Given its size, it should have been no surprise that the wrapping paper revealed a small jewelry box. However, Ino paused in her inspection as she glanced back at Naruto, who had resumed his nervous fidgeting. There was something about seeing the normally indomitable shinobi acting in such a nervous and unsure fashion that satisfied the blonde kunoichi on an almost visceral level. Smiling softly, the young Yamanaka thought, 'He looks as if he was awaiting his execution or something.'

Returning her attention to her gift, Ino slowly lifted the lid of the box and peered inside. Her breath caught as she poked a finger into the box, brushing against the cool, metallic surface of the object inside. Glancing up from the box, the young kunoichi arched a slim eyebrow at the blonde sitting opposite her.

Seeing him quickly look away from her gaze, Ino resisted the urge to smirk as she slowly removed a deceptively delicate silver necklace and matching pendant from the box in her hand. Closer examination of the pendant revealed an image of a single rose, skillfully engraved on an oval disc of glittering silver.

She turned to Naruto and smiled softly, touched by the token of affection from the boy. "This is… beautiful," Ino stated, her voice barely audible. She had never received such a present before from outside her immediate family, let alone from a boy. A light blush stole across her face as she whispered, "I love it."

Naruto's face turned a deeper shade of red at this declaration. "Um, it really wasn't…" His response was cut off rather suddenly as a girl encased in a large white coat tackled him to the ground.

Hinata quickly latched onto him, her arms wrapped around him in a hug and her face buried into his jacket. Utterly surprised and slightly panicked by the fact that the murmuring girl quickly began to sob slightly on his shoulder, Naruto's mind concluded that it was time to initiate damage control. His thoughts began racing to find someway of calming the obviously distraught girl down. After a long uncomfortable moment, the young shinobi finally mustered up the courage to move, tentatively placing his arms around his friend.

Ino couldn't help but observe the two ninja with a small grin. 'This is just so cute.' The thought had just crossed her mind before she saw the small box the other girl had dropped before launching herself at Naruto. Curiosity getting the best of her, Ino reached over to inspect the small box that Hinata had recently opened. Inside she found a pendant similar to hers, except that, instead of a rose, the surface was beautifully engraved with a small rendition of a sunrise.

Meanwhile, Naruto hurriedly addressed himself towards the girl in his arms in a slightly panicked tone, rubbing her back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. "Hinata-chan, if you don't like it, I can get you something else. How about a new recipe book? Or some more herbs for those medicines you like to make?" Not getting any type of response, Naruto continued hurriedly, "I'll do anything you want, just please stop crying."

Naruto actually returning her embrace and his statement about doing 'anything' to get her to stop crying caused the girl to blush brighter than before. Still the boy's reaction caused the young heiress to recover herself. Mortified by her outburst, Hinata quickly scrambled back to her original position. "Ano… t… that will not be n… necessary."

Recovering slightly from his earlier panic, Naruto bluntly continued, "Are you sure? Because I do not think thank you gifts are supposed to cause people to burst into tears." Watching the pale-eyed girl blush deeply at the remark, Ino decided to step in and help her out. "I'm sure Hinata likes her present as much as I like mine." The Hyuuga in question nodded her head rapidly in agreement.

Needing to distract him a bit more, Ino caught the young shinobi's attention and winked at the boy. Smiling mischievously, Ino offered, "But you had better be careful Naruto or we may just come to expect more such gifts from you in the future." The look of utter terror in his eyes was well worth the slight embarrassment she felt from having made such a statement.

XXXXX

Later that evening, Honshu watched as her daughter practically floated into the kitchen as she was putting the finishing touches on their dinner. Her daughter's distraction drew out the blonde woman's curiosity. While she was well aware that her daughter was a young woman who was entitled to her privacy, she could rarely help her interest in her only child's life.

Deciding to begin her inquiry, Honshu asked an innocent opening question to gauge her daughter's mood. "Have you already eaten or will you be joining your father and I for dinner?"

Ino's response was unusually preoccupied, which only fed her mother's interest. "I may have a bite, but Hinata ended up fixing a picnic since it was Naruto's first day back from his escort mission."

After having confirmed that Naruto was involved without any real effort, Honshu continued her subtle probing, "So… how was training today?"

Ino responded absently once again as she played with a silver pendant. "Same as usual… Naruto's presence always seems to make them a bit more tiring than when it is only Hinata and myself."

Honshu suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the vague response. 'Same as usual? Such an uninformative answer when I can't help but notice you absently toying with a necklace I have never seen before.'

Deciding to be a bit more direct, the older Yamanaka inquired, "You seem a bit distracted… Did anything interesting happen?"

The seemingly innocent question caused Ino to shake herself from her thoughts and direct her full attention towards her mother. The comment was just a little too broad… a little too leading for Ino's taste. Long experience and what could best be defined as Ino's 'daughter-sense' told her that her mother was digging for something. "Why would you think anything interesting happened?"

'Ahhh… Answering a question with a question… A bit defensive. If I had to guess, this really is about Naruto.' The elder blonde managed to suppress her smirk into an indiscernible twitch of her lips. 'I wonder if either of them sees how much their friendship means to the other.'

While she had only met him a few times, Naruto seemed to be a sweet boy, generally polite and treating everyone around him with kindness and respect. Honshu could only marvel at this fact considering the type of treatment he had endured over the years. Given what she knew about his childhood, it was a miracle that he still retained his sanity, let alone his heart.

She would have expected him to grow up to be jaded and bitter, full of vengeful and unforgiving thoughts. While she suspected he could be as angry and irritable as the next person, true bitterness of spirit seemed absent from his character. His positive influence on her daughter, who hadn't exactly been kind to him while they were at the Academy, only supported this conclusion.

Deciding to begin the main thrust of her inquiry, Honshu responded innocently, "What? Can't a mother inquire about her only child's day? You just seemed to be lost in thought and I was curious. I'm not saying you have to tell me anything, but I am here for you if you want to talk about it."

Ino watched her mother for a moment before releasing an inaudible sigh of defeat. She had never been very good at keeping things from her mother. 'Especially when she smells blood in the water… And she just had to go for the subtle guilt trip with the 'I'm not saying you have to tell me anything, but' comment.'

Honshu knew she won when her daughter's shoulders slumped ever so slightly as she looked away. 'It gets her every time.'

Somewhat grudgingly, Ino began to describe the evening… Eventually, the young kunoichi ended up showing her mother the silver necklace and providing the relevant details about its presentation, namely Naruto's shy nervousness and Hinata's blindside tackle.

Honshu remained silent throughout her daughter's recounting, simply enjoying the fact that her daughter appeared to be so much happier than she had during the last two years at the Academy. While the shift away from monotonous lectures at the Academy towards more demanding assignments probably had a part in this change, Honshu couldn't shake the feeling that Naruto's and, later, Hinata's friendship played an integral role in her daughter's happiness.

Waiting a brief moment after Ino's recitation, Honshu commented, "My, my… Giving you ninja equipment to help you become stronger and now showering you with jewelry? Are you sure that you are really training in the forest and that you are not just using that as an excuse to spend time with him?"

"Mother!" Even without the exclamation, Ino's dumbfounded expression would have easily communicated the shock she felt at this accusation. 'What is she talking about?'

Honshu's eyes began to dance with mirth at her daughter's outraged cry. Turning away from dinner to respond, Honshu began to enumerate her observations with her left hand. "Well, let's review the facts… First, you spend an inordinate amount of time with a young man that is not your teammate. Second, this young man was concerned enough about you to brave the wraith of an over protective jounin father when you had exhausted yourself. Third, outside of 'practice', you have enjoyed several meals with this young man and managed to drag him shopping with you on at least two occasions. And finally, he has given you thoughtful and practical gifts without a special occasion. He sounds like a boyfriend to me."

"B... Boyfriend?" Ino spluttered, her face flushed at the implication. After taking a moment to recover, the younger Yamanaka shook her head in exasperation and responded haughtily, "Stop jumping into strange and unfounded conclusions. Naruto is not my boyfriend. He is just a sparing partner and an annoying one at that. Hinata is there most of the time anyways…"

Seeing her mother's smile broaden at the qualifier, Ino pressed on quickly, losing the self-righteous tone of her previous statement, "Not that anything would happen if she wasn't. Most of the time I am hard pressed to stop myself from strangling him."

Honshu simply responded in a singsong fashion as she returned her attention to the stove, "If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck…" The silence hung in the air for a moment before the older Yamanaka concluded, "Your father's barbeque this weekend will be the perfect opportunity for me to draw my own conclusion… You did pass on the invitation, didn't you?"

Her mother's self-satisfied tone seemed to echo in the young kunoichi's mind for a moment before she lowered her head to the table with an audible thud. 'The woman is incorrigible.'

Ino's voice carried a clear note of exasperation as she responded, "Yes Mother… Both Hinata and Naruto said they would be coming and Naruto volunteered to ask Haku tomorrow."

XXXXX

The weekend found Haku and Naruto eating at Ichiraku's Ramen after a rather intense sparring session. He always enjoyed weekends as being freed from waiting for Kakashi-sensei and performing rather worthless D ranked missions allowed the blonde shinobi to follow a far more leisurely schedule without sacrificing his training.

As he sat back and thought about the past couple of months, he had to resist the urge to simply marvel at how much he had improved; a great deal of his progress having been achieved due to Haku's guidance. Besides Gai-sensei's instruction in taijutsu, most of the shinobi tuition he had received since the Academy had been in the form of scrolls and lectures. While he was inordinately grateful for Sarutobi-jiji's assistance, he had long ago come to realize that he learned better with active instruction.

That being said, the blonde shinobi had noted with some interest that Hokage-jiji's lessons had shifted into a more guiding tone over the past couple of weeks. The Hokage had urged Naruto to begin applying new strategies towards his existing skills, now that he possessed better chakra control and actually understood jutsu mechanics.

The lectures and discussions regarding the importance of the 'Academy Three' seemed particularly significant. In addition to the use of traditional Bunshin and Kawarimi jutsus to increase the effectiveness of his Kage Bunshin technique, Sarutobi had pointed out how easily Henge could be integrated with his primary technique to create havoc in battles against low-level opponents.

'The basic ninja skills are often ignored by many ninja, but they hold a power all their own. Even ninja of low to medium rank that have mastered the Kawarimi and Bunshin jutsus can evade a jounin under certain circumstances. With all the powerful techniques and bloodlines that suffuse the village, many ninja appear to forget that stealth, evasion, and misdirection are the most essential shinobi skills.'

Mirroring the shifting lectures, Haku's training regime for the blonde shinobi had also continued to evolve. Apparently, the raven haired kunoichi thought that he had advanced sufficiently enough with his chakra sensing exercises to take the next step: sparring while blind folded. While he had improved by leaps and bounds, Haku was still able to decisively wipe the floor with him. That she could do so without visible effort and without resorting to her bloodline was humbling for the blonde shinobi.

As Haku's exercises were having an impact, the blonde shinobi had a powerful incentive to pay attention to the dark haired kunoichi. Since he began wearing a blindfold during various training exercises, Naruto's coordination had increased by leaps and bounds. The blonde shinobi's chakra recognition abilities had also advanced to the point where he could detect her with ease even when she was suppressing her signature. Given that he had originally struggled to locate Haku while she was flaring her chakra less than three feet away from him, it was miraculous progress. Her comment that he may be a sensor type with how quickly he had advanced with this skill had only caused him to work all the harder.

In her own private contemplation of Naruto's progress, Haku couldn't help but be impressed. While she had been hypothesizing about Naruto's strength since her arrival in Konoha, the young kunoichi was beginning to think that she had underestimated him quite a bit. Watching him learn lessons in days that had taken her months to master was both humbling and slightly daunting.

XXXXX

After setting up his grill, complete with carefully his arranged stack of charcoal, Inoichi glanced around his corner of the patio with a please expression. It was a beautiful spring day; absolutely perfect weather for a barbeque. While his wife liked to tease him about his affinity for grilling, he really did enjoy the barbeque gatherings that had become something of a tradition over the past couple of years. While these gatherings usually involved simply spending time with his teammates and their families, the Yamanakas occasionally invited other friends to join them for an afternoon of games and hamburgers.

The practice had truly begun six years ago when he had completed his summer project to expand the back patio. Honshu had been a bit skeptical about the landscaping project, as it had cost her one of her flowerbeds, but he thought that the use they made of the space throughout the more comfortable months of the year more than made up for the sacrifice. Realizing that he didn't have his barbequing tools, Inoichi set out to retrieve them from the special case that he kept in the hall closet.

As Inoichi recovered his prized tools and headed back out towards the patio, he noticed Honshu, Nara Yoshino, and Ino's friend, Haku, were talking in low voices in the kitchen, thick as thieves. Despite almost twenty years of marriage, he still wondered how the presence of other women could shift his wife's personality to such a degree. A bout of laughter from the older women caused him to feel some sympathy for Haku and to wonder if that laughter boded well or ill for his sanity.

As he reached the patio doors, he paused once again. Instead of wondering about sounds of laughter, Inoichi found himself simply observing his only daughter and her friend as they talked. Naruto and Haku had come over a bit early to help set up and, while Haku had been drafted into helping out in the kitchen, Naruto had ended up helping Ino set up the tables outside for later. It was a remarkable thing to watch as Naruto laughed and dodged Ino's half-hearted strikes, apparently having made a teasing comment to his only child.

All in all, it was a very innocent and pleasant sight. There was nothing really special about the moment, but Inoichi knew almost intuitively that it would be a sight that he'd cherish for years to come. Despite some paternal misgivings, Naruto's friendship had been very good for Ino. On a personal note, it had been a long time since she had seemed so happy and carefree… ever since Ino and Sakura's falling out, if his memory served him.

Professionally, Naruto had succeeded where both the Academy and his occasional lectures had failed… Ino was finally taking her kunoichi career seriously. He would forgive the young man almost anything for that alone, as it could go a long way towards ensuring that his daughter lived to have children of her own one day.

While he would have preferred that Naruto had been a girl, instead of a hormone driven teenaged boy, Inoichi had come to realize that his paternal sensibilities were going to take a severe beating over the next couple of years. This conclusion was primarily due to having a confident and aggressive daughter and a loving and supportive wife. That being said, he truthfully preferred having a happy and vivacious daughter to one who unhappily slipped through life, unaware of the dangers and responsibilities that accompanied her profession.

XXXXX

The Yamanaka barbeque was turning out to be rather eye opening experience for Naruto. In addition to the three Yamanakas, several members of the Nara and Akimichi families were in attendance. While he had come to accept that he would never know his parents, the sight of the three families carelessly mingling and socializing unfortunately brought up odd questions.

'If they had lived, would my parents have had friends over for no other reason than it was a nice day? Would their closest friends have teased and coddled me as if I was their own child?' While the thoughts were not really painful, the situation did make him feel awkward and a bit out of sorts… Almost as if he was alone despite being surrounded by his friends and their families.

While he had been slightly nervous about meeting both Chouji's and Shikamaru's parents for the first time, this nervousness had been pushed aside by a startling discovery, that both Chouji and Shikamaru had younger siblings, younger sisters to be specific. The blonde shinobi really couldn't say why it surprised him, as having more than one child was hardly uncommon, but the thought of female versions of Shikamaru and Chouji hanging out in an Academy classroom together simply made him shake his head in wonder.

The really scary thing about the two younger girls was that they each seemed to have modeled themselves after Ino, to a degree. The similarities had been readily apparent, as the two young girls had seamlessly attached themselves to Ino upon arrival.

In the case of Shikamaru's sister, Shina had adopted Ino's hairstyle and possessed a spiky ponytail of jet-black hair. In addition to this physical similarity, her rather direct personality appeared similar to Ino's own. Further analysis of the picnic's attendees indicated that this trait might have been acquired from her mother, based on what little he had observed of the elder Nara. Observing the stark gender differences between the Nara men and women was both an enlightening and amusing experience for the blonde shinobi.

Countering the stark behavioral differences between Shikamaru and his sister, Chouji's sister, Chiasa, seemed to possess the same affable, easy-going nature of her brother. She had, however, escaped at least one of the Akimichi family's traits as she was fairly svelte, especially when compared to her father and her older brother. This allowed her to pull off a green outfit very similar to Ino's ninja clothing with little difficulty. It was a bit odd, but the big sister/mentor relationship that Ino shared with the younger girls seemed to reveal another aspect of blonde kunoichi's rather complex personality.

As the picnic continued and the males congregated around the grill, Naruto couldn't help but wistfully observe as the three elder shinobi exchanged amusing stories and gently ribbed both Chouji and Shikamaru about various aspects of growing up. Seeing that the young blonde was being unusually quiet, Inoichi attempted to draw him into the conversation. "Come on, Naruto… You must have a story of some sort."

While Inoichi had simply been trying to include him in the conversation, the entreatment seemed to leave the young blonde a bit uneasy. 'Outside of his pranking exploits, he probably didn't have too many amusing stories.'

Naruto truly did want to participate, but, as the last couple of the stories seemed to involve the trials and tribulations that the older men had gone through when they were dating, he was at a bit of a loss.

"Well…" Glancing over at Hinata, who was sitting with Ino and Haku at one of the tables, gave the blonde shinobi an idea. "I once gave a girl a present… It wasn't much, just a thank you present for some tutoring, but she ended up bursting into tears. I tried to find out what was wrong, but she wouldn't say anything. When I asked what she would want instead of the present, she scrambled back as if I was going to take it from her and claimed to like it very much." The blonde shinobi sighed heavily, much to the amusement of the older members of his audience, as he continued, "Sometimes, I just don't understand girls."

Inoichi took a drink from his bottle and confided, "You are not supposed to. If there is one lesson I have learned over the years, it is that women do not want to be understood all the time. They prefer to have their little secrets. They think that it gives them a bit of mystery." Inoichi was smiling broadly as he concluded, "If a guy gets too close to figuring them out, they may just kill him."

The lack of agreement from his teammates was the only warning the blonde jounin received before he heard, "I'm sorry, Inoichi-kun, but would you mind repeating that?"

Glancing at his teammates with a slight feeling of betrayal as they subtly shifted their attention to the grill or to the flowerbeds that populated his backyard, Inoichi affixed what he hoped was a disarming expression on his face as he slowly turned towards his wife. With an innocent tone he asked, "Mind repeating what, dear?"

Honshu's smile was simply a bit too fixed to give him much hope of escaping this conversation completely unscathed. "What you just said… It seemed that the rest of your little group was captivated by your wit and I don't want to feel left out."

Scratching the back of his head, Inoichi offered, "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to remember what I was talking about. But then again, you have commented several times that I am getting a bit senile in my old age." He finished his response with a rather self-satisfied air.

His wife simply looked at him for a moment and Inoichi could feel his grin begin to slip away. She eventually continued, "Really, Inoichi-kun? Perhaps you would like to come into the kitchen and rest for a bit."

Honshu looped her arm around her husband's and continued, "Then we will have a chance to discuss exactly what else you have learned over the years?"

XXXXX

A little over two weeks passed and Naruto found himself enjoying another picnic with Hinata and Ino. While Team Seven had just returned from a rather eventful mission to Hidden Waterfall Village, Teams Eight and Ten had each been assigned merchant escort missions that went off without a hitch. Despite some good-natured grumbling from Ino about Team Seven stealing all the exciting missions, Naruto and the two kunoichi found themselves enjoying the simple routines they shared.

While all three ninja engaged in extensive training regimens, both individual and team oriented, these group sessions had come to mean quite a bit to the participants. The evening sessions provided a far more relaxed environment; the subtle camaraderie allowing each to develop without pressure or expectations.

To Naruto, the social aspects of the group were just as, if not more, important than the training aspect. Given his childhood, he had never really had much opportunity for social interactions outside of the Academy environment. Simply being able to sit back and watch his friends interact with each other was a unique and invaluable experience.

Ino turned out to be far friendlier than he had imagined from his limited exposure to her from the Academy. 'While she would still probably rant and rave about Sasuke-teme if the opportunity presented itself, she has proven to be much more than a simple fan girl.'

Hinata had also undergone a similar transition in Naruto's mind. At the Academy, the Hyuuga heiress had simply faded into the background, never stepping forward in any of Naruto's memories. Those few memories that did involve the dark haired kunoichi featured her shying away from him, usually with a bright blush on her face. That she had overcome this odd tendency and was far more outgoing since she joined Ino and himself in training was an encouraging shift.

Together, they just seemed to mesh. Ino caused Hinata to be more outgoing and Hinata caused Ino to calm down slightly. 'Well, Hinata also appears to have had the same affect on me. Who would have thought a couple of months ago that I would be content to simply sit back and watch two girls converse without being the center of attention?'

Just as Hinata was about to respond to a question from Ino, Hinata gasped in pain as her hand reached towards her neck. The sound and the accompanying gesture drew the Naruto's attention. Time seemed to stop for the young shinobi as he noticed the dull gleam of a senbon that stood out against the pale skin of the Hyuuga heiress.

Unable to think as he watched a look of utter panic seize the girl even as she began to topple forward, Naruto felt a senbon sink into his own flesh. Mentally cursing his inaction, the blonde shinobi lunged awkwardly towards Ino, hoping to save her from whatever fate had befallen both Hinata and himself. The young shinobi realized he had succeeded as he felt another senbon bite into his shoulder.

Naruto, ignoring Ino's confused and angry protests, struggled to his feet, stumbling slightly while fighting against a drowsy feeling that threatened unconsciousness. 'What…? How…? They were just senbons… This doesn't make any sense unless they were poisoned…' Naruto tore the weapons from his neck and shoulder as he scanned the trees that surrounded the clearing. He tensed as two individuals emerged.

The first man was tall and very muscular, wearing black hakuma style pants and a dark blue sash around his waist. His upper body was bare except for an impressive collection of scars and two samurai style bracers constructed of thick black leather and dull silvery studs. His sash bore an interesting accessory, an Iwa forehead protector with a slash through the insignia.

Where the first man looked immovable, the second one looked as if a strong breeze would knock him over. The man's lanky, almost painfully thin, build was clad in mottled green pants and a sleeveless vest. The man's slightly slouched form did not appear to have an ounce of fat on it, looking almost as if skin had been stretched across animated skeleton. His pale visage, complete with deeply sunken eyes and long, stringy black hair, was gaunt and betrayed the same unhealthy appearance of the rest of the man's body. A slashed Kusa forehead protector completed Naruto's wavering observation.

The larger of the two ninja watched Naruto with a level expression as he gruffly observed, "I thought that poison of yours was supposed to knock them out for a couple of hours."

His companion irritably snapped, "Shut the hell up! With two doses, he should be twitching on the ground and foaming at the mouth."

Naruto didn't hesitate any further as he rushed forward to engage the obviously hostile intruders. The former Kusa shinobi stepped forward to intercept him with a disdainful smirk and didn't even flinch as he blocked a sloppy but powerful roundhouse kick. The skeletal man responded immediately, the snapping of bone clearly audible as his fist connected solidly with the blonde's face. Naruto barely registered the blow before a vicious kick to the ribs sent him flying across the clearing.

XXXXX

'Naruto!' Seeing her fellow blonde being knocked senseless by the enemy ninja was finally enough to stir Ino from her bewildered state.

Unfortunately, before the young kunoichi could even begin to register the man's movements, the other ninja attacked. The instant she had risen to her feet, a massive hand crushed her right arm and a neglect kick seemed to shatter her knee. A second later, Ino's consciousness exploded into a world of pain as she was carelessly tossed away and impacted with one of the trees surrounding the training field with a good amount of force. The blonde kunoichi nearly slipped into sweet unconsciousness, but the sound of Naruto's struggles helped her hold on.

Pain flared up all over her body as the young kunoichi attempted to clear her head. 'I've never felt pain like this before.' Agony seemed to almost overwhelm her senses as she shifted her position on the ground. In a detached part of her mind, Ino mentally cursed herself for being so slow in reacting to the attack and for allowing herself to be disabled with such ease. That she would freeze in such a situation was both embarrassing and infuriating.

After suppressing the sense of nausea that gripped her, the young kunoichi winced as she moved her leg, testing the injury the large jounin had inflicted. Luckily, her knee appeared to have been twisted instead of broken as she had originally feared. Pain induced tears pooled in her eyes as Ino took stock of their situation and slowly attempted to stand. The young kunoichi managed to rise, cradling her crippled hand against her chest, as she struggled to think of a way to help her friends.

'Kunai and shuriken would be useless except as a distraction… Without my hand, my jutsu arsenal is limited. Even with my hand, I don't think I have any jutsu that could take out a jounin, let alone two. My only viable plan, Ninpou: Shintenshin no Jutsu, is useless without the ability to aim it properly.' She didn't have much time as the former Kusa shinobi appeared to be simply toying with Naruto as the other nin restrained Hinata.

XXXXX

A bloody and broken form landed awkwardly at the base of a tree after it had been bodily thrown from the clearing. Blood matted blonde hair shifted slightly as the severely injured form began to move.

Consciousness remained only due to the fact that Naruto had managed protect his head by twisting just enough so that his shoulder had taken the brunt of the arboreal impact that had ended his flight. Some form of poison and a serious concussion blurred the blonde's vision as he attempted to observe his surroundings. A throbbing pain that lanced throughout his body greeted his attempts to rise from his resting place.

The blonde shinobi dimly noted that his breathing was labored and that his face was radiating more pain than he had ever felt in his life. He could also feel a kunai embedded in his back, grinding against various bones with each breath, as a river of warm blood flowed from the wound. He continued his struggles to get up, but his attempts were sloppy, uncoordinated, and growing weaker.

'Goddamn it! How am I supposed to become Hokage if I can't even protect my friends? They need my help and I was batted aside as if I wasn't even there! Was all of my training and hard work for nothing? It can't end like this! I cannot fail…'

XXXXX

The sensation of being wet was the first thing Naruto noticed as he awoke from his slumber. As he slowly returned to awareness, the young shinobi tried to remember why he would be laying prone in a pool of water. Naruto's confusion turned to terror as he remembered the attack in the forest and his having lost consciousness.

As he rose from the water, a quick assessment of his health found no sign of his injuries. 'No pain… No blood… Even my clothes are in perfect condition.' Glancing around, he was totally dumbfounded by his situation.

Stagnate water covered the floor and roughly hewn walls glistened with moisture. Musky, moist air filled his lungs as he looked around. A concealed light source provided the passage with an eerie glow that danced on the rippling water. Glancing around revealed that he was in a passageway… a passageway that seemed to stretch endlessly into both directions with each side being indistinguishable from the other.

'Where am I? How did I get here? How long have I been unconscious?' Moments before he had been heavily drugged and bleeding profusely in the forests of Konoha… Now he seemed to be healed and to have found his way into a dimly lit sewer.

Just as Naruto completed his assessment of his situation, he heard a low rumble off in the distance. The muted noise caused the standing water surrounding him to ripple in the dim light.

Curious and having no better idea of what to do, Naruto began to move towards the sound. As he advanced, the only noise that invaded the passageway was the sloshing sound of the stagnate water. The rather monotonous journey caused the blonde shinobi's annoyance to grow as his patience quickly dissipated. This frustration meant that it was some time before the young shinobi used some common sense and began to utilize his water walking abilities to sprint down the seemingly endless tunnel. Time seemed to stretch out without any reference for how far he had come or how far he had yet to go.

As his journey continued, Naruto's irritation began to give way to unease. The only logical conclusion he could come up with was genjutsu… But those had always proven to be a difficult subject for him. At the Academy, it had quickly been established that his ability to cast genjutsu was essentially nil.

His response to those cast on him was a different story… Weak genjutsu had simply failed to affect him in any way, shape, or form. Stronger, more complicated techniques had caused him to have an odd sort of double vision that would fade between the illusion and reality. Eventually, even the stronger jutsu demonstrated in the Academy seemed to fail. That the sewer he found himself in wasn't fading or even flickering either meant that it was real or the most powerful technique he had ever encountered.

Distracted by his thoughts, the blonde shinobi nearly missed the first shift in his surroundings since the beginning of his rather surreal journey. The shift was rather commonplace, merely a series of rusty pipes following his path. Despite how you would expect such things in a sewer, the pipes drew his attention like a moth to a flame. At first, the pipes were small and few in number, emerging from the stone walls at odd intervals only to disappear again without rhyme or reason. But it quickly became obvious that they were steadily growing in both number and diameter.

Visually following the pipes into the distance, Naruto abruptly noticed that the passageway ended in a mass of shadows. The blonde shinobi paused as he tried to discern what lied beyond. Observation quickly gave way to frustration, as he was unable to make out anything useful. Cautious progress down the corridor revealed a massive chamber of rough stone. While the chamber's ceiling was obscured in a dim twilight, the chamber's floor consisted of red rock that was occasionally masked by standing pools of water.

After taking in the shift in scenery, the blonde shinobi noted that the opposite end of the chamber was framed by an enormous set of gates. 'What the hell is that?' Naruto didn't even have a reasonable comparison for the constructs standing before him as even the main gates of Konoha paled in comparison.

The blonde shinobi's gaping awe was cut short as a sound began to emanate throughout the chamber. At this distance, the dull noise he had heard earlier had an almost physical presence; a deep rumbling that reverberated through his body.

Cautiously moving forward, the blonde shinobi observed that a worn piece of paper, easily the size of a large poster to be visible at this distance, was affixed to the huge gates.

A long moment passed as blonde shinobi made his way towards the gates. Their size seemed grow as he approached them from across the massive chamber, but he was still unable to discern anything on the other side of the iron bars.

An odd rasping of movement occurred before the inky blackness behind the massive gates was broken by the appearance of two massive crimson eyes. These shimmering eyes were quickly joined by a brilliant collection of razor sharp teeth. The dim illumination in the cave seemed to shift somehow, slowly revealing the massive form of a beast's body. This visual revelation was accompanied with silent movement of multiple tails in the distance.

The sight had barely registered in the blonde shinobi's mind before a foul and vicious chakra began hammering away at his psyche. The blonde shinobi barely managed to refrain from simply collapsing to the ground due to the overwhelming presence.

"Kyuubi…" The name slipped unbidden from the young ninja's mouth as the demon's massive form seemed to solidify.

His own whispered utterance seemed to shatter the blonde shinobi's fear and awe, recalling him to the present. Panting slightly as he became accustomed to the Kyuubi's killing intent, the blonde shinobi found himself analyzing the being before him. The realization that he was somehow standing before the creature responsible for so much of his suffering caused him to impulsively demand, "What am I doing here? Why did you bring me here?"

The demon's presence intensified as it roared, "Silence you pathetic worm! I would gladly feast on your soul for such insolence!" After slamming against the massive gates in a futile effort to attack its jailor, the nightmare given form growled, "Your very existence is an insult… To think that I would summon you… You came to me…" The Kyuubi's guttural rumble was almost felt as much as it was heard at this distance.

Belatedly realizing that he was somehow trapped in his own mind and not in a physical location, Naruto began to look around the massive room, searching for an exit. Unsurprisingly, the blonde shinobi did not find anything other than the way he had entered the chamber. Remembering the seemingly endless walk he had undertaken to arrive at his location, the blonde shinobi muttered, "I need to get out of here. I need to protect Hinata-chan and Ino-chan…"

This statement drew a barking laugh from the massive demon. "Your previous attempt was weak and pathetic… You were brushed aside like the insect you are."

The caustic observation caused the blonde shinobi to remember the severe beating he had endured mere moments before he lost consciousness. Even if he managed to escape, Naruto grudgingly admitted to himself that there probably wasn't much he could do about the situation. His body was filled with some sort of drug that dimmed his senses and shot his coordination to hell. Even if he had been clear of mind, the young genin wasn't confident that he could take on one missing nin, let alone two. While they may or may not be up to Zabuza's level, they were probably far above his own if they managed to infiltrate Konoha without issue.

Thoughts of Zabuza triggered further memories, particularly those of the malevolent power he had channeled on the bridge in Wave and the blinding rage that had accompanied it. Glancing up at the massive demon that was watching him with an expression of distaste, Naruto demanded, "Let me out of here and give me your power like you did on the bridge."

The demon simply chuckled in response. The sound was low and foreboding, totally devoid of any mirth. The blonde shinobi couldn't help but think that such an expression of humor seemed wholly unnatural coming from such a creature. "And why would I do something like that? I am in no danger and I find your suffering amusing."

The Kyuubi's massive visage seemed to almost split in two as it grinned. This feral expression once again drew the blonde shinobi's attention towards its enormous teeth. "If your 'friends' are too weak to defend themselves, then they deserve to die."

Thoughts of his friends swimming in his head, Naruto ground his teeth as he stared back at the fox, its massive red eyes boring into him with mocking indifference.

The obvious amusement in the fox's visage sent Naruto's temper soaring. The demon's reaction to his demand was unwelcome but not unexpected. That the girls' pain and death would be a source of amusement for the fox was infuriating and unacceptable.

'But this is not an entity that can be reasoned with… A demon would know nothing of friends or companionship… It would not feel pity or remorse…' That the bane of his existence would steal his friends from him while mocking him from within its prison was not something that Naruto could stomach. The blonde shinobi's mind spun through chaotic thoughts and scenarios as he searched for a solution.

One appeared… A desperate threat that roiled the very core of his being. It went against so many of the values that had been ingrained upon him by his childhood that he almost dismissed it out of hand. It would be the ultimate form of surrender, but… 'Anything for my friends…'

The blonde's voice was low but easily audible even in the massive chamber. "If my friends are hurt due to your inaction… if they die…" Naruto's jaw muscles clinched in anger as he briefly considered such a scenario… Of being thrust once again into the overwhelming isolation of his childhood.

After looking up to glare, without a trace of fear, at the enormous features of the Kyuubi for a long moment, Naruto continued, "Then we will find out exactly how tightly we are bound together."

The demon's massive eyes narrowed, but the Kyuubi remained silent. The comment itself was obtuse and didn't mention any specific action, but the implications were clear. 'Death…' After an indeterminate amount of time, the demon rumbled, "You have some guts attempting to blackmail me."

The blonde whelp seemed unmoved by the rebuke. In fact, the statement seemed to almost imperceptively harden the boy's resolve. The Kyuubi continued to glare at the boy, judging its options. 'There is little to be gained in testing the boy's resolve in this matter… And it will give me another opportunity to observe the accursed seal under stress. If it was tested by a mere trickle of chakra…'

The demon's low, gravelly tone easily communicated its distaste for its jailor as it began, "I will grant you this boon on one condition…"

XXXXX

The forest clearing erupted around Naruto as the blonde shinobi regained consciousness. Sounds immediately went from indistinct and faint to crisp and clear. The darkening forest suddenly appeared to be lit by the midday sun. The air hitting his nose abruptly became awash in different scents. The flood of new information bombarded him until he focused on one sound in particular. A pained whimper…

Everything else seemed to grind to a halt, the sound ringing in his ears. Naruto felt a furious rage erupt from deep within him. It spread like an inferno within him, consuming any fear or misgivings that he may have possessed. It was the same feeling that had possessed him on the bridge in Wave Country. The intense hatred that surged through his mind should have frightened him, but he simply embraced the anger and consciously matched it with a purpose. Shakily rising to his feet, he moved towards the clearing.

'They want to hurt my friends. They want to kill my friends.' The terrible notion shattered any thoughts of restraint that Naruto may have retained. With a horrible pulse, the chakra coursing through his body strained the last threads of sanity he had. They wanted his friends… They wanted to destroy his precious people. These… animals wanted to thrust him back into the pain and loneliness he had struggled against for years.

The chakra began to shroud him in a cocoon of unpleasant warmth and gut-wrenching power. It throbbed throughout his body, awaiting his orders… A veritable storm of chakra in need of an outlet, lest it destroy him from the inside out.

'Those bastards hurt Ino-chan and Hinata-chan… They must pay.'

XXXXX

Sarutobi was sitting in his office, completing some last minute paperwork and reflecting on the meetings he had planned for next day. The man's usually fluid pen strokes skittered across the page as a vague feeling of unease twitched at the edge of his consciousness. The faint but noticeable sense of disquiet settled upon the elderly man's subconscious, taunting him with sketchy reminisces.

A couple seconds later, the feeling increased in intensity. 'Naruto! If he is drawing on the Kyuubi...' The Hokage cut off his contemplation in favor of action. "ANBU!"

The near instantaneous arrival of two masked shinobi allowed the Hokage to continue without pause, "Kuma, signal the gates and lock down the village! Tora, gather all available teams and return immediately!" A whisper of movement announced their departure as the elderly Hokage quickly moved to activate his viewing sphere.

XXXXX

After the bothersome shinobi had been disposed of, Jakyo turned his attention towards the blonde kunoichi at the edge of the clearing. The former Kusa shinobi observed the young girl for a long moment, his lecherous eyes taking in her lithe form and budding curves. After a long moment, he rasped, "Perhaps we should take the other kunoichi as well. It's a long way to Kumo and it wouldn't hurt to have a little… entertainment along for the trip."

The blonde kunoichi barely suppressed a whimper as her panicked mind began to comprehend what the two ninja were discussing. Ino's thoughts quickly flashed back to the day at the Academy when some of the female instructors had taken the potential kunoichi aside to discuss the realities of being a woman in the world of ninja. The topics ranged from the possibility of 'courtesan' missions to the very real peril of being captured by enemy forces.

The class had been one of the most sobering experiences of her young life. Over one third of the kunoichi that had been in her class had withdrawn from the Academy over the week that followed. For Ino, she had finally begun to understand why her father had always pushed her to train so aggressively, despite being ranked as the top kunoichi in her class.

The massive shinobi glared at his partner, not even bothering to hide his disgust at the suggestion. 'Only the weak of mind fail to control their base urges… Perhaps he will have to be dealt with on the way to Kumo least he try and 'entertain' himself with the Hyuuga…'

Choosing to be diplomatic for the time being, Edo responded, "Do what you want, but we need to move. Catch up quickly or you will be left behind." And with that statement the towering nin slung an unconscious Hinata over his shoulder and left the clearing.

Ignoring his 'partner's' distaste, the former Kusa nin smirked as he approached Ino with a careless saunter. The smirk shifted to a smile as the lithe kunoichi lunged towards him with a kunai, clearly telegraphing her intensions to the far more experienced ninja. The smile held as an almost negligent backhand smashed into her face; the blow connecting with a surprising amount of force as it sent her flying.

The young kunoichi's world once again exploded in agonizing pain as she slammed into a tree. The painful throbbing that radiated throughout her entire body was quickly accompanied by the stupor piercing experience of a skeletal hand ruthlessly clamping onto her neck and dragging her to her feet. Despite her mounting injuries, all of the young woman's thoughts now seemed to center on the man's tight grip and the breath it was denying her.

The man's bone chilling, malicious smile came into sharp focus, despite the mental haze of her probable concussion. His slightly rancid breathe washed over her as he spoke, "You're a feisty little thing aren't you? I think I'll have some fun breaking you. Who knows, you may even come to enjoy it before we are done?"

The threat, which should have brought forth an overwhelming sense of panic, managed to sharpen Ino's mind enough to recall one avenue that was still open to her. She only hoped that Kusa nin would hold still and that she remained lucid enough to pull it off. The young Yamanaka appeared to be in luck as the Kusa nin was so focused on observing Ino's cowering reaction to his plans that he failed to notice that her good hand quickly executed fifteen one-handed seals. 'Raiton: Raikou Hibana no Jutsu.' (Lightning Release: Lightning Spark)

The bastardized C ranked jutsu was horrendously wasteful technique, immediately taking half the user's chakra reserves and converting it into electricity. The jutsu's effective range was also limited to about two feet from the user, making a fairly useless jutsu except as a last ditch effort. While her father had taught her the jutsu originally, it had been Haku that had helped her adapt it, and a few other jutsu, to one handed sealing.

Miraculously, given the situation and her less than perfect focus, the jutsu was effective. The miniature lightening storm that blossomed from the blonde kunoichi caused the missing nin to release his strangle hold on her as he screamed in agony. Ino, wheezing as she sucked in the sweet air that the missing nin had denied her, collapsed to the ground in a boneless heap. The near panic she felt as she breathed in ragged breaths didn't prevent the young kunoichi from scrambling for a weapon to finish off the former Kusa nin.

Kunai in hand, the blonde kunoichi began to rise just in time to receive a vicious kick to her ribs that slammed her into the tree once again. Sprawling across a large root, Ino looked up to see that the enraged missing nin towering above her. In the day's fading light, Ino could barely make out that the man's right eye had become opaque, either from having been burned or from blood suffusing its surface.

Anger and rage painted his face as his fist connected with the blonde kunoichi's jaw, once again sending her to the brink of unconsciousness. Apparently unsatisfied with the hit, he kicked her again as he exploded, "You little bitch! I should just kill you for that and be done with it!"

The emaciated ninja's enraged grimace slowly transformed into a malice-filled snarl. Eventually the man all but growled, "But I think my original plan is much more fitting. I may even take the time to find a nice, rundown pleasure house to buy your violated body once I have broken you. Your last days on this plane will become a symphony of pain and agony."

The man moved with a speed the belied his injuries and lifted the blonde kunoichi into the air once again, slamming her into the tree before muttering, "Before the end, you will beg for death."

As the missing nin prepared to secure the dazed, petrified girl, a dark presence burst to life. Ino registered through the agonizing pain that the darkening forest had begun to glow an eerie blood red.

The Kusa nin quickly tossed Ino away and leapt a short distance away from the blonde kunoichi to gain some space. A long moment passed before a panting Ino observed a hunched figure lope into the clearing. The figure was accompanied by a heavy chakra tidal wave that surged and swept over blonde kunoichi, sending goose bumps prickling over her skin. The surrounding forest was deathly silent, all sound seemingly absorbed by the events taking place.

The young kunoichi's breath caught in her throat as she observed the clearing's new arrival more closely. Naruto's bloody visage stood, slightly stooped, bathed in vivid crimson by the mass of chakra that now inundated the clearing. There was something unsettling about the aura surrounding him. It was powerful… primordial… lethal.

She watched as Naruto's now glowing red eyes focused on her sprawled form for a long moment. His face was contorted into a vicious snarl, betraying that this was not the same Naruto that had been thrown from the clearing moments ago. After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto's focus shifted to the missing nin, who seemed to be held motionless by the piercing stare.

The moment Naruto's gaze fixed on the Kusa nin, the red chakra appeared to flare and began to burgeon around the clearing, pulsing and surging at odd intervals. The chakra danced around Naruto as if he was on fire, but it did not seem to harm him. Slowly the chakra storm began to coalesce around the blonde shinobi, slowly transforming from a burgeoning amorphous shape into… some type of animal. Whatever it was, Naruto soon had two translucent ears rising above his head and a long semi-transparent tail swishing silently behind him.

While the chakra shroud distorted his features slightly, Ino noticed that Naruto's face appeared to have taken on a far more feral appearance. His eyes appeared different, almost appearing to glow red in the forest's dim light. The rather endearing whisker marks the usually adorned his face had thickened noticeably, darkening his visage quite a bit. His lips were drawn back in a vicious snarl, revealing fangs that she was sure he did not have a couple minutes ago.

The enshrouded blonde ninja took in a deep breath… and suddenly moved. Impossibly fast, the feral shinobi closed the distance between himself and the missing nin, crashing into him with the force of a avalanche. The lanky man was sent hurtling back towards the tree line on the opposite side of the clearing, catching one of trees off center with his shoulder. A horrible crunching sound and a grunt of pain announced the amount of damage to blow had rendered. Despite this new injury, the former Kusa nin was on his feet a moment later, standing in a defensive posture with a angry grimace on his face.

He had risen just in time to meet a wall of chakra that Naruto had sent towards him with a sweeping gesture of both of his arms. The glowing red wall was almost opaque and Ino could literally feel the sickening heat from the jutsu. The chakra, which obliterated small shrubs and stripped the bark from the surrounding trees, hit the missing nin with breathtaking force and sent him deeper into the forest. Naruto was right behind the chakra wall, seemingly intent on racing it to his target.

While the two ninja disappeared from view, the battle that raged between them was easily communicated by sound and the eerie red shadows that danced throughout the clearing. It wasn't long, less than a minute, before the blonde kunoichi was startled as particularly blood-curdling scream seemed to resonate throughout the clearing. Ino jerked in surprise as the foreign ninja came flying into the clearing once again.

There was little need to worry as he landed bonelessly on the grass, missing one of his arms. It was unclear if the ninja was conscious or even alive when Naruto followed the man into the clearing a moment later to land a final devastating blow on the missing nin. The man was most assuredly dead a moment later as his head simply exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

But this particularly ferocious attack didn't seem to sate whatever blood lust had possessed Naruto. The transformed boy continued to pound away at the sodden mess that used to be the missing nin. Ino felt bile rising in her throat as the sickening sounds carried across the clearing. Overcoming the fear and revulsion she felt at the scene, Ino screamed, "Naruto!"

The transformed ninja's head snapped around at her exclamation. In the darkening night, the boy's eyes glowed like two brilliant rubies lit from within. The red, feral state of his eyes made Ino shrink back from him slightly. The shear amount of anger and rage that she found in their depths frightened her more than she could comprehend. A long moment passed before there was a slight change in his posture and a noticeable decrease in the killing intent radiating from the boy. Ino struggled to regain her senses as she tried to remember why she had called out to him.

"Naruto, you need to rescue Hinata! The other ninja took her!" The blonde kunoichi's breathe caught in her throat as Naruto seemed to consider this statement. It was only a moment before the chakra aura surrounding him intensified once again. Ino watched in detached fascination as Naruto lifted his face, inhaled deeply through his nose, and bolted from the clearing in the same direction the Iwa nin had gone. His departure left Ino alone in the darkening forest with the missing nin's bloody corpse.

After a moment's hesitation, Ino struggled to her feet, fighting to stand against the dizziness and nausea that nearly overwhelmed her. She ignored the momentary shiver of fear and revulsion that passed through her as she glanced in the direction of the missing nin's body.

With a quick glance back in the direction her friends had taken, Ino's eyes hardened and the young kunoichi turned to make her way towards the village. Focusing on the fact that she had to find someone to help her friends, Ino began to run through the darkened forest with abandon. Her progress seemed painfully slow as her injured chest burned and her hobbled leg prevented her from making full strides. She barely made it two hundred feet from the clearing before the Hokage and several ANBU intercepted her.

XXXXX

Yamata Edo cursed as he attempted to pick up his pace. Teaming up with Jakyo had obviously been a mistake. The former Kusa nin had simply not been disciplined enough for this type of operation. 'If he had simply killed the other two brats quickly when his poisons failed, the mission would have been complete.' But now it seemed that Jakyo's complete and utter incompetence had totally screwed up what should have been a relatively straightforward mission.

This conclusion was obvious as the hulking Iwa nin was now being followed. Whoever was following him was not being shy about it either. The shear amount of chakra being thrown off by his pursuers was enough to even give him pause. The level of chakra indicated the pursuing ninja were a group of high-level jounin or Konoha ANBU… One of the things that troubled him was that their chakra signature just kept on growing. The other concern was that, while speed had never been his strong suit, their rate of closure was simply ridiculous.

This mission was turning out to be far more complicated than he had originally anticipated. But with great risks came great rewards. The success of this mission would set him up for the rest of his life, allowing him to completely abandon the hand to mouth lifestyle of a missing nin. He would receive enough money to live comfortably for at least ten lifetimes for the delivery of a live member of the Hyuuga main house to Kumo. The Raikage and his council may even be grateful enough to offer him asylum in their village.

Shaking off the thoughts of his eventual success, Edo began to focus on the now inevitable confrontation with his pursuers. Upon coming across a rather desolate clearing that stretched out for some distance, Edo stopped and inspected his surroundings. Glancing around the terrain, Edo concluded, 'I guess it is time to show these tree loving fools exactly why I was granted the title of Iwa's Bloody Boulder.'

Creating an Iwa Bunshin to hold the Hyuuga, Edo turned back towards Konoha. Glancing once towards the bunshin as is backed away from him, the missing nin jeeringly thought, 'It would not do to inadvertently damage the merchandise after all.'

Barely winded from his headlong effort to escape, Edo calmed himself for the coming confrontation. A moment of concentration seemed to trigger a remarkable transformation in the former Iwa ninja. The man's tanned skin darkened further as sharp planes and angles began to supplant previously smooth contours of muscle and sinew. The transformation continued until only the dark, intelligent eyes betrayed the fact that the massive figure standing in the clearing was human rather than a rock golem.

Transformation complete, Edo settled into a ready stance as he awaited his prey. The moment seemed to stretch out as the pursuing chakra presence continued to approach his location. A barrage of at least ten great fireballs launched from tree line announced the Konoha team's arrival. A quick analysis found that the swiftly moving jutsus were too well placed to be avoided easily. And, despite his bloodline, taking several fire jutsu head-on a sure way to end up dead. There were only three options: up, down, or a defensive jutsu.

Deciding to take the cautious approach, Edo flashed through some hand signs and vanished into the earth. 'Doton: Dochu Eigyo no Jutsu.' (Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish)

Closing the distance with the strongest chakra source, Edo launched himself from hiding and managed to land a glancing blow on the ninja, knocking aside the blur of chakra. The figure recovered quickly, shooting towards him with a surprising amount of speed.

A moment of observation allowed Edo to recognize the blonde genin from earlier in day. 'Why would the recovery team bring a genin with them?' The observation had barely registered when Edo felt a brutal kick slam into his side. Seemingly unfazed by the blow, the Iwa jounin attempted to swat aside the chakra enshrouded figure that was already attempting to circle behind him.

The taijutsu exchange that followed the revelation of his opponent seemed particularly wild and ferocious, relying more on speed than on technique. The battle-hardened jounin quickly tired of the assault and began to retaliate almost instantly. The genin's translucent claws raked his arms and ended up tearing through his bracers and scouring his stone skin. Surprise flashed across Edo's conscious a moment before he slammed a vicious punch straight into the genin's sternum.

The stunning blow sent his opponent bouncing across the landscape and sprawling to the ground. 'Doton: Dango Dotonidoryo no Jutsu.' (Earth Release: Mud Cannonball) The jutsu managed to harry the recovering figure and catch at least three of the figures that were circling around the battle. Seeing them vanish in puffs of smoke caused the jounin to mentally curse, 'Kami damned Kage Bunshins.'

A hastily caught sight of the vanishing figures revealed that they all had blonde hair. A slight shift confirmed that the other figures also possessed the boy's hair and stature. 'He is the only one here…' The observation was pushed aside in favor of scrutinizing the chakra-enshrouded figure rising from the ground. The lack of other ninja, the outrageous amount of chakra, and the wild ferocity all came together into one word. 'Jinchuuriki…'

The realization sent a shiver of fear through the battle-hardened shinobi before he recovered. 'I can't allow my focus to waiver… If I falter at this juncture, my dreams of a peaceful retirement will be beyond redemption.'

Edo watched the blonde shinobi recover carefully, strangely calm at the prospect of fighting one of the most powerful and feared weapons in the shinobi world. The experienced jounin quickly reasoned out that the boy was either untrained or somehow restrained from fully accessing his prisoner, as an experienced jinchuuriki would not have allowed Jakyo to handle him as he had earlier. 'Of course, Jakyo is probably dead and I will be too if I take this boy lightly.'

A noise captured the jounin's attention and Edo quickly assessed his surroundings for its source. This survey of the battlefield revealed that his Iwa Bunshin had somehow been overpowered by a large group of the jinchuuriki's Kage Bunshins. One of the survivors had recovered the Hyuuga and was making its way towards Konoha. The rest of the surviving Bunshins began to pepper him with fire jutsus before he could blink.

'Doton: Doruki Gaeshi no Jutsu.' (Earth Release: Earth Wall Land Flip) Doton: Dango Dotonidoryo no Jutsu.' (Earth Release: Mud Cannonball) The defensive wall and the spread of earthen projectiles managed to disrupt the onslaught and take out several of the Kage Bunshins, but this response was not without its costs as his jinchuuriki opponent did not allow his distraction to go unpunished.

Edo returned his attention to the blonde shinobi just in time to narrowly miss losing his eyes to the jinchuuriki's translucent claws. As it was, the swipe ended up scouring his face and arms as he blocked the strike.

The battle began in earnest once again as Edo's prize slipped further and further from his grasp. Despite his best efforts, the boy seemed to avoid or shrug off the vast majority of his blows and responded with a high-speed, wild form of taijutsu that managed to lace painful blows through his defenses.

Edo found himself unable to land a decisive blow as boy's erratic movements and speed conspired to hold him just out of reach. His attempts to quickly end the fight were also confounded by the fact that any significant contact with or even close proximity to the chakra enshrouding the genin caused intense pain to blossom throughout the affected limb.

With a barely suppressed snarl, Edo blurred towards his prey, reappearing beside the boy's form an instant before he delivered a bone shattering kick to his side. 'Doton: Doryuudan no Jutsu.' (Earth Release: Earth Dragon) The earthen construct swept towards the airborne shinobi, prepared the smash the blonde's battered body into the rocky ground.

The boy somehow managed to recover in time, catching only part of the blow as he was sent flying across the rough terrain. The boy regained control of his trajectory almost instantly, slowing his momentum through the use of his translucent chakra claws, which were digging visible furrows into the ground as his speed bled off. As soon as he stopped, the boy lurched forward on all four limbs, seemingly intent on rejoining the fight as soon as possible.

The boy's headlong rush towards his location provided Edo with the perfect opportunity to use one of the most devastating jutsu combinations in shinobi warfare. Snapping through a rapid set of hand seals, the experienced shinobi gathered his chakra in preparation for his assault. 'Doton: Doryuu Taiga no Jutsu**.' ****(**Earth Release**: **Earth Flow)

The swath of the ground before him liquefied, becoming a chakra-resistant slurry of mud and rock. Unprepared for the shift, the enraged jinchuuriki sunk into the deceptively solid looking mixture moments before it hardened into an immobilizing prison. No sooner had the boy began to struggle than Edo began the second part of the combination. 'Doton: Doroku Gaeshi no Jutsu.' (Earth Release: Earth Shore Return)

The genin's efforts to escape were quickly curtailed as the massive slab of earth and stone he was trapped in was overturned, crushing the blonde shinobi beneath a stunning mass of rock and clay. The jounin maintained the final seal of the jutsu, allowing him to manipulate the earthen mass and causing the slab of earth to ruthlessly grind itself against the ground.

Despite having faith in the jutsu combination's ability to grind the ninja into a fine paste, Edo decided that caution was the better part of valor and followed up the move with another jutsu. 'After all, I don't want some half crazed jinchuuriki chasing after me when I recover my prize. Doton: Iwa Yaris.' (Earth Release: Stone Spears)

Numerous wickedly sharp spear-like pieces of stone blossomed throughout the rubble that now obscured the blonde jinchuuriki from view. The chakra that had previously blanketed the area began to dissipate, assuring Edo that he had successfully ended the pest's life.

An angry grimace settled on the jounin's rocky continence as he turned back towards Konoha. 'Hopefully the pest's bunshins didn't make it too far before they were dispersed by his death.'

Just as Edo was about to begin his pursuit, a massive chakra arm tore through the earthen rumble and slammed him into the ground hard enough to create a small crater. While his bloodline essentially nullified any injuries from the impact, the corrosive effects of the boy's chakra burned like molten iron. The brief flash of pain became agonizing torture as the massive hand closed around his stunned form, pinning his arms to his sides as he was lifted into the air.

The jinchuuriki's bloody and broken form came into view briefly before Edo found himself whipped across their battlefield and slammed into the ground once again. The jounin was unable to recover any sense of position as this action was repeated a number of times in quick succession. While this stratagem would have reduced most ninja into a mass of ruptured organs and splintered bone, Edo's bloodline and conditioning insured that this treatment simply resulted in an intense disorientation and a painful, almost debilitating, throbbing throughout his body.

The jinchuuriki appeared to realize that this tactic was ineffective as Edo found himself upended and dragged head first across the rocky and uneven ground. As an attempt at decapitating an opponent, it proved to be as ineffective as the previous strategy. It wasn't long before the former Iwa shinobi found himself being lifted into the air once again.

Edo was barely able to realize that the punishment had stopped before streams of blistering heat engulfed his form. The Kage Bunshins surrounding the jounin had begun to pour in waves of katon jutsus from all directions, finally following the bloodline strategy that the Sandaime had outlined several months ago.

A sense of panic sank in as the jounin made one last effort to break the massive chakra construct's hold on his body. As his attempted struggles against the corrosive chakra proved futile, the jounin closed his eyes and held his breathe in an attempt to ride out the attack.

'If he knows any Suiton jutsus…' The dreaded thought had barely had time to sink in before the assault stopped. Opening his eyes, the smoldering shinobi realized his fate as he caught sight of several Mizu Bunshins forming behind a pair already sprinting towards his location. The impact and disintegration of the Mizu Bunshins was met with hiss of steam and a full-throated scream from the Iwa Jounin as the stone skin covering his body began to fragment.

XXXXX

The Kage Bunshins prepared to resume their attacks as Naruto dropped the screaming ninja to the ground. The smoldering shinobi had barely hit the ground in a boneless heap before Naruto descended on the ninja like a bird of prey. The chakra-enhanced blow delivered by Naruto's clawed hand tore through the missing nin's chest with a symphony of horrible wet snaps. The screaming stopped, only to be replaced by a sickening gurgle as blood sputtered from the missing nin's lips.

Seconds passed and the blonde shinobi's heavy panting was the only sound in the vast clearing. Closing his eyes, Naruto thought, 'Dead… They are dead and can't hurt anyone anymore…' A wave of exhaustion passed over the blonde shinobi as the Kyuubi's chakra began to dissipate. Naruto barely managed to stumble a few feet away from the still body before he fell to his hands and knees. Sensing approaching chakra signatures, the blonde shinobi wearily looked up to see the familiar form of the Hokage break the tree line seconds before darkness enveloped him.

A/N: Once again, this chapter did not turn out quite like I had hoped and that fact led to several delays and periods of procrastination. This rather frustrating ordeal has gone a long way towards convincing me that I couldn't write a decent fight scene to save my life. Hopefully I will have better luck next time.

Next Chapter: Confessions of a Shinobi

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